


My Heroes, Team 7

by TomokoDachi



Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Crossover, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2020-01-07 02:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18401708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomokoDachi/pseuds/TomokoDachi
Summary: AU: Naruto and Sakura bring Sasuke back to Konoha before he falls too deep into his mission of revenge. After Team 7 is reunited, Hinata gathers the courage to start hanging out with them more often. Eventually, the four of them become very close friends.On one of their rare days off from fighting, the four are transported to another universe. They just can't seem to get a break from chaotic mishaps, can they?What will happen when ninjas attend a school meant for superheroes?Ending with SasuSaku, NaruHina, BakuDeku, and KamiSero!





	1. The Portal

Four 16-year-old ninja friends sat together in a quiet tea house somewhere outside their village. They were making casual conversation, until one of them became oddly distracted.

“Naruto-kun?” Hinata whispered in an attempt to get her crush’s attention. Her soft voice went unheard by the daydreaming boy.

“N-Naruto-kun…?” She repeated. Still no response.

“NARUTO!” Sakura’s harsh tone cut through Naruto’s peace, accompanied by her gloved fist colliding with the top of his head.

“Ow! Why, Sakura-chan?” Naruto whined, both of his hands instantly moving up to cover the top of his now throbbing head.

_‘Jeez, can’t I daydream about ramen in peace?’_ Naruto thought bitterly. Of course, he didn’t say it out loud, because he didn’t have a death wish.

“You shouldn’t ignore us when we’re speaking to you!” Sakura replied sharply. “Answer Sasuke-kun’s question already. He’s asked you three times!”

“Alright, alright, sorry,” Naruto groaned. “What is it, Sasuke?” Sasuke scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Idiot. I said, how did your training session go with Rock Lee this morning?”

Naruto barely suppressed the urge to bark a scathing reply to Sasuke’s insult, since doing so would just earn him another punch from Sakura (and possibly get himself kicked out of the silent, peaceful tea house).

“It was fine,” Naruto replied. “Bushy-brows was enthusiastic as ever, ya know? He’s been wanting an all-out match with me for a long time, after all.”

“Y-Your abilities are amazing, N-Naruto-kun,” Hinata chimed in shakily. Complimenting her crush always made the butterflies in her stomach intensify greatly. “It’s no wonder people want to spar with you. Y-You’re someone to look up to.”

Naruto blinked in mild surprise at the idea, and then grinned cheerily.

“Thanks, Hinata! It’s still kind of weird for me to think that I ever could be someone that others look up to.” He briefly thought of his former title as the “dead-last” of the class.  
Hearing Naruto indirectly compliment himself, Sasuke huffed a breath of mild annoyance.

“Don’t worry about him, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura said to him with a friendly smile. “I look up to _you_.”

“Hn.” Sasuke averted his eyes.

“Aww, c’mon, Sakura-chan!” Naruto pouted, disappointed that the pinkette once again voiced her preference of Sasuke over him.

“Butt out, Naruto.”

“Ehh? Why?” Naruto was about to complain further, but was interrupted by a giggle beside him. He looked up to see the tea house server, a pretty lady with an apron, holding the check in her hands.

“Oh, sorry for laughing,” she said with an unrepentant smile on her face. “You all are just so cute!” She was clearly amused by the disrespectful yet silly way they all spoke to each other.

Sasuke’s expression darkened at being referred to as cute. Naruto and Sakura chuckled, and Hinata giggled awkwardly with a faint blush painting her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry if this comes off as rude,” the server said apologetically. “But we’re very busy right now, and several customers are waiting for a table…”

“Oh, we’re sorry, ya know!” Naruto apologized. “We lost track of time. We can leave now, if you need us to.”

“Thank you, sir,” the server bowed slightly and placed the check on the table.

_‘She went from playful to formal very quickly,’_ the four friends thought as the server walked away.

“Who’s payi—“ before Naruto finished his sentence, Sakura and Sasuke cut in.

“Not it!”

“Not me, idiot.”

Naruto bristled at Sasuke’s second use of that stupid insult. Before he could snap at his raven-haired teammate, Hinata spoke up.

“U-Um…” She stuttered somewhat bashfully. “I’ll pay.”

“Nooo, Hinata,” Naruto said to her. “You shouldn’t have to pay at all. I got this.” He then turned to Sasuke. “But you are SO paying next time, bastard! Believe it.”

“Whatever.”

Naruto placed the money on the check, and the four friends took their leave.

“I feel bad for letting Naruto-kun pay…” Hinata murmured softly as they all walked together on the dirt road leading to Konoha. “After all, our drinks were kind of expensive…”

“Don’t feel bad, Hinata,” Sakura replied swiftly. “Naruto can afford it; he’s been saving quite a bit of money lately.”

“Because I’m trying to get my hands on that mega-pack of premium ramen!” Naruto yelled suddenly, causing the two kunoichi to jump in surprise.

“Pipe down, you big baby!” Sakura scolded him.

“Everyone,” Sasuke cut in, ready to change the subject. “Let’s take this other route to the village.” He gestured towards a path cutting through the forest beside the main dirt path.  
“Ooh, that path has a cool, mysterious charm!” Sakura commented cheerily. “You enjoy exploring mysterious places, right, Sasuke-kun?”

“…Yes.”

“Then let’s go! Cha!”

Sasuke walked into the forest path, Sakura following close behind him with an enthusiastic bounce in her step. Naruto dragged his feet behind his two teammates, arms crossed and grumbling about how Sakura always loved Sasuke’s lame ideas so much. 

Hinata walked morosely behind Naruto with her head down, secretly sad that Naruto still cared so much about Sakura’s opinion.

After walking silently for a few minutes, Sasuke surprised everyone by being the first to speak.

“I enjoy places like this,” he told the others.

“Y-You do, Sasuke-san?” Hinata asked. Sasuke nodded.

“It’s peaceful.” He left it at that.

“I agree!” Sakura said.

“Hmph…” Naruto’s frown deepened, unwilling to admit out loud that he actually agreed with his rival’s brief assessment of the forest. _‘This is kind of cool, but I sure as hell won’t let the bastard know it!’_

Silence fell upon them once more for about a minute, until Sasuke stopped in his tracks. He abruptly lifted his arm to his side to tell the other three ninja to halt.

“Wh-What is it, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked, slightly concerned.

“I sense a powerful energy,” Sasuke answered ominously. “It’s unlike anything I’ve felt before.”

“Well, what are we standing around for?! Let’s see what it is!” Naruto burst out, causing Hinata to wince at his sudden loud voice. The blonde ninja charged forward, bumping into Sasuke while he ran away from his three friends.

“Idiot!” Sasuke barked, chasing after Naruto. “Don’t just run right into potential danger like that!”

“S-Sakura-san, what do we—“ before Hinata could finish her sentence, her pink-haired friend ditched her to follow the boys.

“Come on, Hinata! We shouldn’t let them split up from us!” Sakura said quickly as she ran forward.

Hinata took a few shaky breaths to calm down before also running forward to join her friends. She prayed in her mind that they weren’t in danger.

Hinata soon and reached a part of the forest path that made a sharp right turn.

As soon as Hinata turned right, she was met with a terrifying dark portal that seemed to draw her in while swirling menacingly.

“N-No!” Hinata gasped as she felt her feet drag against the ground. She leaned away from the portal in a feeble attempt to escape.

_‘I don’t want to die! No one will even know where I went—‘_ Hinata thought frantically as she was slowly pulled toward the dark hole. _‘I—I haven’t even told Naruto that I love him… Wait a minute, was Naruto-kun pulled in there?’_

Hinata stared deep into the raging black abyss. Naruto was in there. Her precious Naruto-kun was lost in that black mass of darkness, as well as Sasuke and Sakura.

...Somehow, the Hyuga would rather suffer with her friends than abandon them.

Ignoring the fearful pounding inside her chest and the wet stinging sensation in her eyes, Hinata stopped fighting against the force pulling her. She allowed her body to relax, and she was pulled into the vortex that had devoured her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm new to writing fanfiction... can you tell? xD


	2. All Might

Sasuke was the first to wake up. His eyelids felt heavy and his head was pounding, but he still sat up and fought the sleepiness away.

He glanced around, assessing the situation with intense focus.

Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata were lying unconscious near him. They appeared to be unharmed. They seemed to be in a dirty, dark alley between two tall buildings. The street in front of them was busy, filled with many people walking by quickly (was it morning rush hour?), and for some reason, they were all dressed really weirdly.

After determining that he and his friends were in no immediate danger, Sasuke turned to whoever was closest to him. It was Naruto.

He placed his hand on Naruto’s shoulder, tightly gripping his best friend while shaking him roughly.

“Naruto, wake up,” Sasuke said in an abrasive tone.

“Mmph, wait, Iruka-sensei…” Naruto muttered, a trail of drool rolling down his chin. “I—I need to finish this last bowl…”

“I think our current situation a little more important than your imaginary ramen,” Sasuke said a bit more loudly while smacking Naruto’s shoulder hard enough to make it sting.  


“Agh!” Naruto’s blue eyes flew open. His sleepy gaze landed on Sasuke’s stern face.

“Jeez, Sasuke, you…” Naruto was about to yell at his friend for being so rough, but he suddenly remembered what happened in the forest. Naruto sat up straight, worry now etched onto his whiskered face. “Sasuke, what happened?! Where did the portal take us? And where are Sakura-chan and Hinata?”

“We’re in a city, and the girls are right there.” Sasuke gestured towards the still unconscious pair of kunoichi, who were sleeping behind Naruto. Naruto glanced behind himself and calmed down a bit, seeing that his other two friends were safe. He looked back at Sasuke.

“That was crazy, huh?” Naruto said to Sasuke. “I didn’t even know portals like that were a thing!”

“Hn. Let’s wake up Sakura and Hinata. Then we’ll figure out what to do.”

“Yeah!”

Sasuke and Naruto scooted over to the girls. Sasuke shook Sakura’s shoulder, and Naruto repeatedly spoke Hinata’s name.

Sasuke stopped as soon as he saw Sakura start to stir.

“Hm…?” The pinkette looked up at Sasuke, her drowsy expression changing to one of relief. “Oh, Sasuke! Thank goodness you’re safe!” She sat up and hugged her crush tightly. He didn’t say or do anything in return.

“Hinata? Hinata?” Naruto was crouched beside the navy-haired girl. She was fast asleep, her face still somehow contorted with fear from when she fell into the portal in the forest.

Naruto leaned in closer to his sleeping friend’s face. “HINATA?” He said loudly.

Hinata gasped as her pale eyes snapped open.

“N-N-Naruto-kun…!” She stammered. She felt her cheeks begin to heat up. _‘He’s so close!’_

“Oh good, you’re alright!” Naruto said with a wide smile. “I didn’t want to shake you awake because I’m not a harsh bastard like Sasuke—“

Hinata fainted, her face having turned incredibly red.

A sharp pain jolted through Naruto’s skull as Sakura chopped the back of his head with her hand.

“Ouch!”

“You idiot! Did you really have to get all up in her face like that?!”

“Ow, ow, ow, Sakuraaaa…”

“And come to think of it…” Sakura’s face twisted into a deeper scowl. “It was YOU who got us in this mess in the first place! You ran ahead like an idiot, and led us into that portal!”

“Wh-What?” Naruto squeaked fearfully. “N-No, that’s not—“

“NAAAAARUUUUUTOOOOO!” Before anyone knew what was happening, Sakura’s fist flew against Naruto’s head, causing him to fall over and lose consciousness. She may have gone a little too far with the violence this time.

**“Never fear, young civilians! For I am here!”**

Sasuke and Sakura flinched, both alarmed by the sudden interruption of the new voice, which seemed to come from above. The two teens looked up to see someone standing at the top of the building, looking down at them with a bright smile. He was a ridiculously muscular man wearing a mustard yellow striped suit, and his blonde hair was styled rather… freakishly.

 _'Who the hell is this weirdo?'_ Sasuke wondered, wary.

_'He’s even weirder than Guy-sensei, and that’s saying a lot!'_ Sakura thought fearfully, a drop of sweat appearing on her cheek.

Before Sasuke and Sakura could question the strange man, he swooped down and landed right beside Sakura. He snatched the pinkette and threw her over his broad shoulder, causing her to shriek in fear.

“Your days of terrorizing the public are over, young villain!” The man declared triumphantly. “I, All Might, could not stand idly and watch as you knocked out that poor young man!”

“What?!” Sakura yelled furiously. “I’m not a villain, you jerk!” The man whose name was apparently All Might sighed and shook his head at Sakura’s loud reaction.

“I saw you hit him hard enough to knock him out,” he said in a serious tone. “And that young girl over there—“ he glanced at Hinata. “—is unconscious as well. I’m assuming she is also one of your victims.”

As satisfying as it was to watch Sakura get admonished for her violent tendencies (finally), Sasuke knew he couldn’t let her get detained. He stood up and looked All Might in the eyes.

“Hey. It may be hard to believe, but we are all friends,” Sasuke said to the freakish man. “She hits him all the time, with no malicious intent. You could say she’s just… ‘playing’ with him. You should let her go, because she did nothing wrong.”

A loud groan caught everyone’s attention. Naruto was waking up from his brief lapse in consciousness.

“Wowie, Sakura…” the blonde teen said while rubbing his sore head. He slowly stood up. “You hit me reeeeally hard this time, ya know…” his voice trailed off as soon as he saw the weird scene before him: Sakura seething with anger, being held like some rabid animal by what appeared to be the tackiest man alive.

“Um… what happened?” Naruto asked nervously.

“This guy thinks Sakura is a criminal for punching you,” Sasuke said coolly.

“And if he doesn’t put me down very soon, I’m gonna—“ Sakura’s threat was cut off by Naruto.

“Come on, man! Don’t treat her like a criminal!” Naruto pouted at a very confused All Might. “She didn’t mean to knock me out! She hits me all the time, ya know! …okay, that kind of sounds really bad, but I promise you, it’s okay!”

“Are… Are you sure?” All Might asked apprehensively.

“Yes!” Naruto replied quickly, nodding his head vigorously. “Now put her down.”

With clear hesitation, All Might gently put Sakura down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Sakura stomped a few feet away from All Might, wanting to distance herself from the freak as fast as possible.

“I’m sorry, young lady,” said All Might.

“Hmph.” Sakura crossed her arms. All Might then cleared his throat.

“So… Exactly what happened here?” He asked. “That is—why are you children in an alley, and why is that girl unconscious?” He pointed at Hinata.

“Psst! Sasuke!” Naruto ‘whispered’ not-so-quietly. “Should we just tell him the truth about what happened to us?”

“Well—“ Sasuke didn’t even get to begin his sentence before Naruto dove right into an honest explanation.

“You see,” Naruto said to All Might. “We fell into this portal—well, we were sucked into it because it had some really freakish gravity—and then we all woke up in this creepy alley. Hinata over there woke up earlier, but she fainted for some reason, so we’re just waiting for her to wake up again. We’re totally lost and don’t know what to do. Believe it!”

“That is a very interesting story, young man,” All Might said, having trouble fully processing all that information. “Tell me—where are all of you from?”

“Konoha,” Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke answered in unison.

“Konoha?...” All Might put his hand to his chin, trying his best to recall such a place, but he couldn’t think of anywhere named ‘Konoha.’ “Where is Konoha?”

“The Land of Fire, of course!” Naruto replied with great certainty, as if that was common knowledge.

 _‘The Land of Fire? That sounds like some sort of fantasy land…’_ All Might thought. _‘These kids are as lost as can be, and I can’t ignore anyone in need. Perhaps the help of my fellow pro heroes would be beneficial to this situation.’_

“Would you all like to come with me to U.A.?” All Might asked the three teens. “It''s my duty to help you all out in any way I can, and I’m sure the rest of the U.A. staff will be able to resolve this issue and help you kids find your way home.”

“I dunno what U.A. is, but sure!” Naruto said with a big smile. 

_'They can't possibly not know what U.A. is...'_ All Might thought, truly bewildered. _'Just where did these kids come from?'_

“Seeing as we have no better plan,” Sasuke sighed. “I suppose we will follow you.”

“...Great! I’ll carry your unconscious friend over there.” All Might walked over to Hinata and gingerly picked her up bridal style. “Now, come with me, young civilians!”

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke followed All Might out of the alley, and walked behind him down the busy street.

“He called us civilians twice,” Sakura grumbled.

“Oh, you’re no civilian, Sakura!” Naruto the suck-up told her, holding her hand. “You’re a totally fantastic ninja! Believe it!”

“I knew that, Naruto… And let go of me, damn it!” Sakura forcefully wrenched her hand out of Naruto’s.

“Quiet down, you two,” Sasuke said to the loud, annoying duo.

 _‘…Ninja?’_ All Might, who had overheard their little exchange, was even more confused than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo.... does anyone want to see more of this?
> 
> If I continue this story, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata will join U.A. as new students of class 1-A, and they'll totally shock everyone with their abilities. I'm not fully certain about pairings yet, though I definitely have some ideas in mind for new friendships (like Sakura and Izuku!)
> 
> Anyway, I'm gonna stop talking now. Let me know if you want more chapters!


	3. U.A. Staff

“HOLY CRAP!” Naruto screamed shrilly. “WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!”

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stared in horror at the man before them, who had instantaneously transformed from the most muscular person they’d ever seen into a skeleton. Blood dripped out of his mouth and rolled down his now skinny face.

“Ah… You all don’t know what happened to me?” All Might asked solemnly, averting his gaze to the sidewalk below him. His twig-like arms visibly shook under the weight of Hinata’s limp body.

“I’ll hold her,” Sasuke offered.

“…Thank you, young man.” All Might carefully handed Hinata to Sasuke (Sakura, despite being a little jealous, didn’t say anything). All Might then wiped the blood off his chin with his wrist.

“Seriously, what the hell?!” Naruto said loudly, seriously worried. “Is this a transformation jutsu? No, it can’t be… you’re bleeding!”

“I don’t know what a… ‘transformation jutsu’ is, but I suppose I should explain what you’re seeing,” All Might sighed. “About six years ago, I fought a powerful enemy who caused me serious injury, and gave me this weak, emaciated body. For a while, I could switch back to my muscular form for short bursts of time, which allowed me to keep my weak form a secret from the public. I recently fought him again, and it took all of my power to defeat him once and for all. I went far past my limit, and now… I can’t stay in my muscular form for any longer than a few minutes.”

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke didn’t know how to respond. They stared at All Might in stunned silence for a few moments.

“I’m… so sorry to hear that,” Sakura said softly.

“It’s okay, young lady,” All Might said. With a tired, yet hopeful expression, he looked up from the ground and met her eyes. “The Symbol of Peace will rise in time.”

All Might turned around and started walking again. The others followed him quietly, none of them daring to question the meaning of his cryptic statement.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke remained silent the entire time they followed All Might to the place called “U.A.” They were too astounded by their surroundings (and disturbed by his sad story) to speak.

They were confused by the loud, shiny vehicles that rushed down the street at high speeds. They also couldn’t figure out why every person was wearing such strange clothing, and why not a single person wore a headband to represent their village.

What baffled the three ninjas the most was the attention All Might was receiving from random people. Everyone on the street stared at All Might in awe, as if he was some kind of god. Some of them greeted him enthusiastically, and even expressed sympathy about his situation.

“Y-You’re still the number one hero to me,” one of All Might’s fans said kindly before walking away with a light blush on her face.

 _'This All Might must be a renowned protector of sorts,'_ Sasuke thought analytically. At first, the young Uchiha had felt uneasy about following a stranger to an unknown place, but seeing all the civilians that trusted and respected All Might made Sasuke feel a little safer.

The five of them soon left the busy streets, and eventually arrived at what appeared to be a school campus, which was protected with high, sturdy walls. All Might got the four teens through the gate and onto the campus.

Right after they walked past the gate, Hinata woke up.

“Oh, Sasuke-san?” Hinata said sleepily, looking up at the Uchiha with tired eyes.

“You’re awake.” Sasuke said plainly before he gently put her down.

“Oh, hey Hinata!” Naruto greeted her cheerfully, causing Hinata to blush. She then noticed All Might.

“H-Hello. Who are you?” She shyly asked the alarmingly skinny man.

“I’m All Might. Please to meet you,” he responded. “Right now, we’re at U.A. high school. I’m taking the four of you to meet some of my colleagues. They’ll help you find your way home in no time.”

“I see. Thank you very much.” Hinata bowed slightly to show her gratitude.

“No problem, young lady. Now, follow me,” All Might said. He led the four teens into the building, and led them to the staff room. “We’re very early. Classes haven’t started yet, which gives us a chance to speak to the staff for a while.”

He opened the door to the staff room, where three people (and one strange animal) were seated. He stepped into the room, and the four teens followed.

“All Might, you’ve finally figured out how to arrive early,” a dark-haired man with stubble on his face commented snidely. “You better have a good reason to bring four non-U.A. students onto our campus.”

“…good morning to you, too, Aizawa-kun,” All Might replied. “And good morning, Mic, Nezu, Vlad. These four kids are completely lost. I was hoping that together, we could help them find their way home.”

“You breached the security of our school, an issue which has already run our reputation into the ground, for the sake of four teenage strangers?” Aizawa snapped, an angry expression taking over his face. “You’re usually pretty stupid, but even for you, this is reckless!”

“Though I wouldn't use those exact words, I have to agree with Aizawa,” Vlad added. “All Might, couldn’t you have just taken them to the police station?”

Present Mic and Nezu didn’t say anything; they simply looked at All Might, expectantly awaiting his response. The four ninja behind All Might also refrained from speaking, extremely uncomfortable under the scrutiny from the U.A. staff.

“Something about these four is different from the usual lost child,” All Might explained, uncertainty in his voice. “They seem to lack quite a bit of common knowledge, which makes me think that they’re…” he hesitated to finish his sentence.

“They’re what?” Aizawa growled.

“I think we’re from a different universe,” Sasuke said bluntly, surprising everyone.

“AHAHA, what?!” Present Mic laughed loudly, amused by Sasuke’s outrageous claim.

“Wh—Are you _serious_ —“ Aizawa’s annoyed retort was promptly interrupted by Naruto.

“Wait, I think Sasuke is right, ya know!” Naruto said quickly. “Nothing about this place seems familiar!”

“Yep, this is definitely not the world we come from,” Sakura said matter-of-factly.

“I—I agree…” Hinata added while fidgeting with her fingers, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“You expect me to believe that you all are from an alternate universe.” At this point, Aizawa's irritation was replaced by pure disbelief.

“Let me try something,” Nezu spoke for the first time. “Kids, do you know what quirks are?”

“Hmm… A quirk is a weird characteristic that makes a person unique,” Sakura replied. She then smirked mischievously. “Like, I don’t know, eating unhealthy amounts of ramen, or wearing only orange every single day.”

Naruto deflated at Sakura's subtle roast, while Sasuke and Hinata tried not to smile in amusement.

“That definition is correct, but not in the context of our society,” Nezu replied. “Now, do any of you know what a pro hero is?”

“A what?” Naruto said dumbly. The other three ninja were also confused.

“How about a villain?”

“U-Um…” Hinata stuttered nervously. “A v-villain is the antagonist of a story, r-right? They’re the character th-that the protagonist is m-meant to defeat.”

“That’s also correct, but still not in the context of our society,” said Nezu. “You do seem to lack the common knowledge a normal person would have.”

“I still don’t believe them,” Aizawa said in a bored (yet somehow also accusatory) tone.

“Do you guys know what ninjas are?” Naruto asked suddenly. "You know, soldiers who attack using various elemental techniques." Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” the tired-looking teacher answered.

“Do you have ninjas in this place?”

“Is that some kind of a joke?” Aizawa huffed.

“Nope, a totally real question!”

“No. Those kinds of ninjas--the ones with so-called 'elemental techniques'--are fictional,” Vlad said impatiently.

“Wrong!” Naruto said with a goofy smile. “Because the four of us are ninjas! Believe it!”

“This is preposterous,” Aizawa said, rubbing his temples. He was clearly growing tired of the conversation. “Unless you have proof—“

“We do! We totally do, ya know!” Naruto excitedly interrupted Aizawa again (much to the tired teacher’s increased irritation). “I can show you some ninja techniques; then you’ll have to believe me!”

“Not in here,” Nezu cut in, trying not to laugh at the blonde’s enthusiasm. “How about we go outside to the nearest training ground?”

“Heck yeah! Let’s go!” Naruto threw his fist up in the air.

“Always eager to show off, huh?” Sasuke said to Naruto, crossing his arms. “So desperate for attention.”

“Shut up, Sasuke!”

“Alright, follow me, kids!” All Might said before Naruto and Sasuke’s argument could escalate any further. The emaciated hero walked out of the staff room, and the four ninja followed him.

“Let’s go, everyone,” Nezu said to Aizawa, Vlad, and Present Mic.

 _'I can’t believe we’re really doing this,'_ Aizawa thought grumpily as he followed everyone to the training grounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know ninjas aren't fictional, but the kind with ninjutsu and genjutsu are. That's why Aizawa doesn't believe them.


	4. Holding Back

Naruto was a little confused when he felt someone's hand squeeze his shoulder. He looked behind him to see Sasuke staring right into his eyes.

"What's up, bastard?..." Naruto asked, somewhat uncomfortable with the subtle intensity in Sasuke's blank facial expression.

Sasuke removed his hand and moved to Naruto's side. He began to walk right next to Naruto while everyone else (except all Might, who was leading the way) followed slowly behind them.

"Naruto," Sasuke said in a low whisper. "What I said earlier wasn't exactly meant as a snide remark. I just genuinely think this is a bad idea."

Naruto recalled what Sasuke said: _“Always eager to show off, huh? So desperate for attention.”_

"Don't you remember what they always told us in the Academy?" Sasuke said quietly. "When facing a potential enemy, never reveal the fullest extent of your strength until you truly need to."

"...oh," was all Naruto could say in response, feeling terribly foolish. How could he have forgotten?

"These U.A. staff members or whatever seem nice, but they're still strangers and cannot be fully trusted," Sasuke continued. "By showing them our techniques, we're making ourselves more vulnerable... If they want to harm us, it'll be easier for them, because they'll know our abilities."

Hearing Sasuke's little speech, Naruto couldn't stop the feeling of shame weighing him down. Had he just put himself and his three closest friends in danger, all because he wanted to show off his jutsu?

Suddenly, Naruto had a good idea (for once).

"What if we don't demonstrate our strongest techniques?" The blonde suggested. "We could just... Show these guys some basic stuff we learned in the Academy."

Sasuke thought about it for a moment. He then nodded, satisfied with the idea.  
"Okay, we'll do that," he agreed. "So no rasengan or rasenshuriken, okay?"

"Yeah yeah, I got it, ya know!" Naruto replied cheerfully, feeling much better. "I'm gonna hold back!"

 _‘I may be old,’_ All Might thought. _‘But I still have decent hearing.’_ Having heard the entirety of Sasuke and Naruto's hushed conversation while walking in front of the two boys, All Might couldn't help but smile with amusement. 

Everyone soon arrived at the nearest training ground outside. All Might, Aizawa, Present Mic, Vlad King, and Principal Nezu stood in a line and looked at the four ninjas expectantly.

“Can you give us a moment?” Sasuke asked the adults.

“Of course,” Nezu said amiably. Sasuke then turned to Sakura and Hinata.

“Listen up,” he told them in a hushed voice. “We’re only going to show them the most basic techniques, alright?”

“Damn it!” Sakura hissed. “I wanted to show off my chakra-enhanced punch.”

 _‘How predictable,’_ Sasuke thought exasperatedly. _‘Sakura is almost as kuckleheaded as Naruto sometimes…’_

“Of course, Sasuke-kun,” Hinata agreed softly. “After all, w-we can’t just let total strangers know wh-what we’re capable of.”

“Hm, alright then.” Sakura shrugged. Naruto then spoke up.

“Okay, Konoha-nins!” He cheered at his friends. “Stand in a line and follow my lead!”

“Who made _you_ the leader?” Sakura grumbled, but she and the others complied anyway.

Once he and his friends were standing in a line facing towards the U.A. staff, Naruto yelled out the first technique.

“Shadow clone jutsu!”

They each created one clone of themselves, which was somewhat intriguing to the watching adults. The ninjas allowed their clones to disappear.

“Transformation jutsu!”

Sasuke transformed into Aizawa (much to the U.A. teacher’s discomfort), Sakura transformed into Sasuke, Hinata transformed into Neji, and Naruto transformed into… a sexy naked girl.

“Well, this isn’t just any old transformation jutsu, ya know,” Naruto explained in a provocative voice. “This is my sexy jutsu!—“

“DAMN IT, Naruto!” Sakura (still looking like Sasuke) said while punching Naruto in the face, forcefully causing him to change back into his true form. “I told you not to do that pervy jutsu in front of me, you idiot!”

“Ouch, Sakura-chan…”

“You... transformed,” Present Mic said dumbly, completely amazed. “You each easily became a different person…!”

“There’s one more thing I’d like you show you!” Naruto said happily, the pain in his face forgotten. “Let’s do the wall-climbing, guys!”

Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata dispelled their transformations. The four ninjas ran to a large nearby tree—(for a brief moment, Aizawa couldn’t help but be impressed by their running speed)—and ran up its trunk with ease.

They returned to the adults, and looked at them expectantly.

“So? What did ya think?” Naruto asked.

“That was pretty cool!” Present Mic responded loudly. “What you showed us were definitely NOT quirks, since in this world, it’s impossible to have more than one.”

“So you weren’t lying,” Vlad King commented. “You really are like the ninjas from little boys’ comic books after all, with various techniques up your sleeves.”

“I’m truly impressed,” All Might told them with a toothy smile (which, in his current state, was reminiscent of a skeleton Cheshire cat). He gave them a thumbs up. “Well done, young ones!”

Naruto beamed at the praise. Sasuke, on the other hand, cut to the chase.

“You see? We are clearly not from your universe,” he said to the adults. “We’re completely and utterly lost, which is all the more reason for you to help us out. And none of us really know how to travel between universes, so we can't go back on our own.”

“Now, hold on,” Aizawa said harshly.

 _‘These kids were impressive,’_ The long-haired teacher thought. _‘Even I can’t deny that, since I’ve never seen anything like this! But that doesn’t give them the right to barge in and demand help, when we at U.A. already have our own issues to deal with. And besides, how can we even trust these weird kids?’_ Before Aizawa could voice his opposition, Principal Nezu suddenly made a terribly infuriating offer.

“What if you all joined the Hero Course?” Nezu said to the skilled children before him.

“The Hero Course?” Sakura repeated curiously.

“It’s the course taken by the students in U.A. high school who are training to become Pro Heroes,” Nezu told her. “Pro Heroes are the protectors of our world. Some people use their quirks for evil, but they are always thwarted by Pro Heroes.”

“Y-You want us to train to be P-Pro Heroes?” Hinata squeaked, feeling extremely flattered. Aizawa was seething, but stayed silent as Nezu kept talking.

“Yes, I would like that very much,” Nezu told the shy girl. “You all clearly have the capabilities for it. Since you just arrived at our world today, you currently lack shelter and an education. We can provide both of those necessities to you if you enroll in U.A. And while you train to be heroes, we will investigate the cause of your arrival, eventually finding a way for you to return to your own world.”

Sasuke stared into Nezu’s beady eyes with suspicion.

“…There’s something you aren’t telling us. What is it?” Sasuke asked bluntly. Nezu sighed.

“On a more serious note, there is certainly a possibility that you may never be able to return home,” Nezu said solemnly. “If you’re stuck in this world for the rest of your lives, then at least you’ll all have a fine career to financially support yourselves. Being a Pro Hero pays quite well, after all.”

Naruto gulped nervously, Sakura growled indignantly, and Hinata whimpered. Sasuke showed almost no reaction, but his eyes did narrow with apprehension.

None of them liked the thought of leaving Konoha behind forever.

“I know, that’s not a very nice possibility to think about.” Nezu said before putting on a smile for the kids. “Don’t worry, we will do everything we can to find your way home!”

“P-Promise?” Hinata asked in a small, almost child-like voice.

“I promise.”

“Soooo, we’re U.A. students now?” Naruto asked.

“Correct.”

“HECK YEAH!” Naruto whooped while raising his hands in the air, only to be interrupted mid-celebration by Aizawa.

“NO,” he said sternly, his voice much louder than usual. Everyone turned to look at him. “Nezu, we don’t know who these kids are. How can we trust them? How can we just carelessly throw them into our student body?!”

Nezu turned to Vlad King, All Might, and Present Mic.

“You three—please take these new students on a brief tour of the school,” said Nezu. Aizawa’s blood was practically boiling from being ignored.  
Nezu checked his watch. It was 7 a.m. “Finish the tour and take them to classroom 1-A at 7:40,” the principal told them.

The three Pro Heroes said yes and proceeded to follow their orders, escorting the four ninjas into the building.

Nezu then turned to face a very angry Aizawa. It was time to convince the teacher that enrolling the ninja kids in U.A. was a good idea.

Nezu looked up at Aizawa’s pissed-off, scrunched up face. The teacher looked like he was about to explode with anger, kind of like Bakugou.

 _’This will take a while,_ Nezu thought with mild amusement. _'But I do have a whole 40 minutes to convince him~’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Team 7 is in U.A.! They're gonna meet their new classmates! And impress everyone!
> 
> And piss off Bakugou!
> 
> I can't wait! :D


	5. New Students

Aizawa slowly walked to classroom 1-A, mentally preparing his quick lesson for the ninja kids.

It had taken a lot of convincing from Principal Nezu, but Aizawa finally accepted that the ninja kids were U.A.'s newest students.

 _"You'll be able to keep a close eye on them,"_ Nezu had told him. _"They won't be able to cause trouble or harm to others if they're under your supervision."_

That sealed the deal for Aizawa.

Aizawa arrived at classroom 1-A at 7:35. He sat at his desk and waited until 7:40, when All Might, Vlad King, and Present Mic arrived with the new students.

"We've finished the tour!" Present Mic announced loudly. "Now they're aaaaall yours, Aizawa!"

"Great, now get out," Aizawa said flatly.

"Haha, friendly as ever, Aizawa!" Mic teased. "See you later!" With that, he and the other two adults left the room, leaving Aizawa alone with the new students.

"Sit in the front row," Aizawa commanded. The four teens all sat down, and awaited further instruction.

"Classes start at 8:30," Aizawa droned in his usual bored voice. "So until then, I'm going to tell you what you need to know about our society. You can't possibly become Pro Heroes without common knowledge and common sense."

 _‘This'll be like the Academy all over again,’_ Naruto thought, finding the situation a little funny.

"But first, a proper introduction. I'm Aizawa Shouta, your new teacher."

"It’s nice to meet you, Shouta-sensei," Sakura responded in an attempt to be polite. Aizawa's eye twitched.

"Shouta-sensei?" He repeated in a dark tone. He couldn't remember the last time a student had dared to call him by his first name.

"Yeah...?" Sakura replied, unsure of what she did wrong.

Aizawa noted the look of genuine confusion on Sakura's face. She clearly hadn't intended any disrespect. Despite his irritation, Aizawa opted for a gentle correction rather than snapping at the pinkette. "I'm Aizawa-sensei to you. You may only call me that."

Sakura hesitantly nodded, replying with a simple "Okay." Aizawa then proceeded to give his lesson.

“Now, a quirk is a special feature or ability. It can be anything from destructive elemental powers, to extra limbs, to animalistic traits. The very first quirk was found a few centuries ago in Qingqing, China, where a glowing baby boy was born. After that, superpowers and supernatural qualities were being found in more and more people across the world. There was a great deal of controversy and debate about quirks; many people were intimidated by them. But eventually, it became normal to have one. Today, about 80 percent of the world population has a quirk. Of course, some people decided to use their quirks to commit crime. Today, those who use their quirks for evil are called villains, and those who use their quirks to suppress evil are called heroes.”

Sakura raised her hand to ask a question.

“What?” said Aizawa, slightly annoyed.

“Can anyone fight evil, or is extensive training legally required?” Sakura asked.

“I’m glad you asked,” Aizawa replied, not really sounding glad at all. “I was just about to talk about that. It’s illegal to use your quirk in public unless you’re a Pro Hero. Every Pro Hero has a Hero License, which gives them the right to use their quirk to fight villains. Does that answer your question?”

Sakura nodded, prompting Aizawa to continue.

“I suppose I should mention that All Might, the scrawny man you met earlier, was the number one hero for many years until about a week ago. He became the strongest Pro Hero, and managed to bring crime down significantly all on his own. He was the symbol of peace for a long time, and everyone looked up to him. People still respect him, of course, but he’s no longer everyone’s savior. He’s effectively retired now.”

“That’s really sad, ya know…” Naruto commented. Aizawa hummed indifferently (though he secretly did agree—it was truly unfortunate.)

“Now I should tell you about U.A. You four have been enrolled into the most coveted—and competitive—high school in the entire nation. All students who get in have to take our perilous entrance exam, or be recommended for their exceptional abilities. So you should feel incredibly lucky to be here.”

“Wow… we met a famous guy _and_ got into a top-notch school,” Naruto said, amazed. “This is our lucky day!”

“Yeah,” Aizawa said. He then let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Well, this is the most I’ve spoken in a long time. I’m done.” He got up from his seat and made his way to a yellow sleeping bag in the corner.

“Your society is rather similar to ours,” Sasuke mused.

“Yep!” Naruto agreed. “But instead of heroes and villains, we have ninjas. And we don’t have laws against using jutsus in public. It’s fine as long as you don’t hurt anyone.”

“Oh, is that so?” Aizawa yawned disinterestedly while he slipped into the sleeping bag. “Anyway, don’t break anything,” he said to the kids before closing his eyes.

 _‘What the heck?’_ The four ninja collectively wondered as Aizawa fell asleep. What a strange sensei.

“…Sooo, that was a lot of stuff to remember,” Naruto said to his friends.

“Yeah, and I’m sure there’s even more we need to learn,” Sakura added, not particularly looking forward to the hours of studying they would probably have to do. “Hey, those no-quirk laws sound really stupid, huh?”

“I’m sure there’s a good reason for them,” Hinata pointed out.

“So no using jutsu in public,” Sasuke said, looking directly at Naruto.

“Jeez... I won’t do that, Sasuke!” Naruto said defensively.

“Well, Naruto, you can be pretty reckless sometimes,” Sakura countered.

“Aw, come on, Sakura-chan…”

“I’m early~!” Some girl said in a sing-song voice as she opened the door to the classroom. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata all looked at the girl in the doorway, who now looked a little confused.

She smiled at the four teens. “Hi there! What’re you guys doing here?”

“We’re new students, believe it!” Naruto replied with a smile and a thumbs-up.

“Really? New students? I _don’t_ ‘believe it,’ to be honest! Since U.A. doesn’t take transfer students.”

“But it’s true! We enrolled today.”

“Wow…” The girl seemed to be at a loss for words. After a moment, she then said, “You know, there are only twenty desks here. We’re gonna need four extra desks for you guys. Wanna come with me to get them?”

“Sure thing,” Naruto agreed.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Sakura added.

“Great! Then follow me,” the girl told them. The four ninjas stood up and followed her out of the classroom.

“Oh, I’m Uraraka Ochaco, by the way! I hope we can be good friends.”

“Nice to meet you, Ochaco!” Sakura said kindly. "I hope we can be friends, too. You seem really nice, and I appreciate your help with the desks!"

“Ochaco, huh?” Before Uraraka could politely ask why Sakura jumped right into a first name basis, the five of them arrived at their destination: classroom 1-B. “Alright, let’s take those desks."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura each carried one, while Uraraka and Hinata carried another one together. When Naruto asked if it was okay to steal desks from another room, Uraraka dismissed his concerns with an assuring smile, saying that those 1-B jerks can deal with it.

They placed the four new desks at the very front of 1-A’s classroom.

“Just a few more minutes until class starts,” Uraraka noted, looking up at the clock. “I’ll go to my own seat now. I look forward to your introduction!” With that, she walked to her desk and sat down before pulling out her phone to check her notifications. 

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata sat in the four new desks at the front.

Students began arriving at the classroom, staring at the four newcomers but saying nothing to them. They took their seats and whispered among themselves about who the four new kids could be.

At exactly 8:30, Aizawa opened his eyes. Without even bothering to leave his sleeping bag, he addressed the class.

“We have four new students joining us,” he said tiredly. The class seemed to burst with excitement and indignation.

“Oh, wow.”

“Hold on, U.A. isn’t supposed to take transfers!”

“HEY, just how is that fair?!”

“Did they even work their butts off to enroll here? Hmmm?! Did they?!”

“Oh cool, some new friends!”

“YES, YES, YEESSSS, TWO OF THEM ARE INCREDIBLY CUTE GIRLS—!”

Aizawa’s eyes turned a bright glowing crimson, and the temperature in the room seemed to fall drastically. Everyone became silent in an instant. Once the chatter stopped, Aizawa blinked, allowing his eyes to revert to their normal dull black.

“Introduce yourselves, brats,” Aizawa said to Naruto and his friends, who were now seriously intimidated by the teacher. None of them even had the courage to speak up against him calling them "brats."

The four nins stood up and turned to face all the students sitting behind them.

“Hey, everyone! I’m Uzumaki Naruto!” Naruto borderline shouted. “I will become the Hokage and surpass all the Hokage before me, believe it!”

“What in the _hell_ is a hokage?” a boy with medium-length black hair asked.

“The Hokage is the leader of where we come from. We’re not from here, ya know!” Naruto explained excitedly. He then hesitated for a moment before looking at Aizawa. “Hey, Shouta-sensei—“ (the entire class cringed at the use of Aizawa’s first name) “—can I say where we’re from?”

“It’s Aizawa-sensei,” Aizawa said sternly. “Show some damn respect. And yes you can, I really don’t care.”

“Okay!” Naruto ignored Aizawa’s irritation and continued his introduction to the class. “We’re ninjas, and we came from another world! It’s a lot like this world, but there are ninjas instead of heroes and villains. Yesterday, we got sucked into this dark black portal, it was so scary—it was like WHOOOSH—and then we landed in this world somehow! We were totally lost, haha! That famous guy All Might found us this morning, and he brought us here!”

“Bullshit,” someone coughed humorously, eliciting stifled laughter from some of the other students.

“But it’s the truth, ya know!” Naruto said. “I mean it!”

“How can we possibly believe a story like that?” A girl with pink hair and skin asked. “Like, come on. Ninjas? A portal from one universe to another? That’s too crazy to be true!”

“You all shouldn’t be too surprised or skeptical,” Sasuke reasoned with a smirk. “Inter-dimensional travel really isn’t far-fetched in a world where the supernatural is normal. I mean, look at you. You have horns and pink skin.”

“…I hate that your argument actually makes sense,” The pink girl replied.

“Can you just wrap up the introductions?” Aizawa groaned.

“Yes sir,” Sakura said. “Hello everyone, I’m Haruno Sakura.”

“Uchiha Sasuke,” Sasuke said.

“U-Um…” Hinata blushed, feeling terribly nervous under the gaze of twenty-one strangers. She fidgeted with her hands. “I’m… H-Hyuga Hinata…”

Aizawa unzipped his yellow sleeping bag and stood up, now holding a blue and white shirt with red accents.

“You four,” he looked right at the ninjas. “Put these on. We’re going outside.”

“How many gym uniforms does he have in there?...” A certain tailed boy mumbled curiously while staring at Aizawa’s mysterious sleeping bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to stick around for the next chapter, where Team 7 will do Aizawa's little assessment thing!


	6. Aizawa's Assessment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's some more uhh trash writing--
> 
> (Let me know if you see any typos; I don't want ANY mistakes in here. Thanks!)

All twenty-four students of class 1-A were outside at the assessment area, but twenty of them were merely watching from the sidelines.

The four newest students—Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Hyuga Hinata—stood before Aizawa, listening carefully to his instructions.

“I need to know more about your capabilities,” Aizawa told the four teens. “So we’re taking a quirk assessment test. In your case, since you don’t have quirks, I suppose it’s just an assessment test.”

“Alright, I’m ready! Believe it!” Naruto boasted with a determined expression, throwing his fist up in the air.

“…This isn’t supposed to be fun,” Aizawa growled in the most ominous tone he could muster. Unfortunately, he couldn’t threaten these kids with expulsion like he had done with the rest of the class. These four already knew he didn’t actually have the power to do that, since Principal Nezu had so easily overruled his protests earlier.

Thankfully, Aizawa’s dark tone of voice was enough to put Naruto in his place, and tone down any excitement the other three kids might have had.

“Take this seriously,” Aizawa warned. “We’re starting with the 50 meter dash. Uchiha, Uzumaki, stand at the start line.”

Naruto wanted to question why Aizawa had used their surnames, but he knew it wasn’t the right time. He quietly moved to the start line with Sasuke by his side.

“I bet I can beat you, bastard,” Naruto said quietly to Sasuke. The Uchiha rolled his eyes.

“In your dreams, idiot.”

“On your mark…” Aizawa drawled. To the teacher’s confusion, Naruto and Sasuke prepared to run by leaning forward and stretching their arms out behind them.

 _That’s an odd stance,_ he mused.

“…Get set… go.”

As soon as Aizawa uttered that last word, the two boys took off, running at an incredible speed with their arms still behind their backs.

“0.72 seconds!” The speed machine announced as Sasuke dashed across the finish line. Naruto finished very soon after.

“0.93 seconds!”

Most of class 1-A exploded in a fit of astonished noises and chatter.

“HOLY CRAP, are these guys for real?!” Mineta yelped.

“THAT WAS LESS THAN A SECOND!” Ashido exclaimed.

“That’s… incredible…!” Kaminari said breathlessly.

“Amazing! So _so_ amazing!” Hagakure cheered.

“They were faster than you, Iida-kun!” Uraraka cried, frantically shaking Iida’s arm. “How can that be? How is that possible?!”

“…” Iida stared at Naruto and Sasuke in bewildered silence, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. Seeing that Iida was currently emotionally broken and couldn’t respond, Uraraka turned to Midoriya.

“Deku-kun, wasn’t that crazy?” She asked her green-haired friend.

Midoriya’s eyes were bulging wide, and his jaw hung open with shock. He, too, was silent (save for the little choked noises he was making).

 _Those speeds are… unprecedented,_ Aizawa thought, a small smile threatening to show on his face. _They’re even faster than most pro heroes._

“Dang it,” Naruto grumbled under his breath, oblivious to the reactions of his classmates. “I was so close to beating that jerk.”

“You always say that…” Sasuke commented with a sly smile. “…As if you ever have a chance of beating me.”

“Grr, I’ll beat you in the next test, believe it!” Naruto declared.

“Hyuga and Haruno,” Aizawa said, interrupting Naruto and Sasuke’s banter. “You’re up.”

Hinata and Sakura ran in the same strange stance as Naruto and Sasuke, finishing in 0.31 seconds and 0.86 seconds, respectively.

“NO WAAAAY!!!” Ashido screamed in reaction to Hinata’s time. Her voice was almost loud and shrill enough to drown out everyone else’s. “THAT’S IMPOSSI—“

“WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP, RACCOON EYES?!” Bakugou exploded, causing Ashido to flinch. This was his first time speaking today, having been completely quiet up until this point.

“Oh, come on, Bakugou!” She replied. “Even you can’t deny that 0.31 seconds is, like, BEYOND amazing!”

“Ashido's right!” Kirishima added excitedly.

Bakugou didn’t respond. He simply scowled and angrily turned away from his two friends.

“Okay, you four,” Aizawa said to the ninjas. “Let’s continue the assessment.”

~

The ninjas all performed exceptionally, passing almost every test.

Hinata and Sakura both excelled in the ball throw test by enhancing the strength in their hands. Hinata had activated her byakugan so she could use the gentle fist, and Sakura used her excellent chakra control. Thanks to her chakra control, Sakura also did great in the grip strength test. Sasuke excelled in the sit-up test thanks to his physique. Finally, all four ninjas excelled in the long-distance run. They finished it very quickly without even breaking a sweat.

 _’These kids are truly amazing,’_ Aizawa admitted to himself. The four ninjas were now staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell them how they did.  
_’But I can’t let them know that, of course. There’s nothing more irritating than a cocky student.’_

“Your performance on this assessment was… alright,” Aizawa said to the four new students, who all twitched in annoyance at their teacher’s unenthusiastic comment.

 _‘THIS DAMN GUY.’_ Naruto resisted the urge to yell at Aizawa.

 _‘I did my very best like he told me to, and this is the praise I get?!’_ Inner Sakura snapped, itching to throw a punch. _‘CHA!’_

“Also…” Aizawa pressed a button on the remote in his hand, generating a holographic scoreboard for everyone to see.

 **1\. Hyuga Hinata**  
**2\. Uchiha Sasuke**  
**3\. Haruno Sakura**  
**4\. Uzumaki Naruto**

“Ha ha!” Naruto laughed obnoxiously, jabbing Sasuke in the side with his elbow. “You’re not number one this time! How does it feel to be a loser for once, you big bastard?”

“You’re in last place,” Sasuke deadpanned. “You have no room to talk.”

“O-Oh…” Naruto pouted and looked at the scoreboard again to see that he was, indeed, dead last.

 _‘...Uzumaki, are you stupid?’_ Almost everyone in class 1-A wondered.

“We’re not done yet,” Aizawa said seriously, catching everyone’s attention. “It doesn't take a genius to realize that most of what you've shown me are common abilities from your world." Aizawa gave the ninjas a hard stare. "You each have abilities that are unique to yourselves, correct?"

 _'How did he figure that out?'_ Naruto wondered, feeling slightly nervous. He glanced to the side at Sasuke, silently seeking the Uchiha's approval to speak.

Sasuke noticed Naruto from the corner of his eye, and gave a curt nod (which did not go unnoticed by Aizawa). Now having Sasuke's permission, Naruto answered Aizawa's question.

"Yep." The blonde chuckled sheepishly. "In our world, there are basic moves that everyone knows, like high-speed running and transformations and stuff. But there are also techniques that _aren't_ universal—ones that make each ninja unique."

"Well, show me."

"Hah?"

"I want each of you to show me at least one powerful trick that is unique to you." Aizawa immediately noticed the change in the new students' demeanor. They looked terribly uncomfortable and uncertain. "I understand that you are wary; I would expect ninjas to be. However, you're my students now. The more I know about you, the better I can help you improve."

"Well, sensei..." Naruto said. "I don't know how well you can even help us, since we've kind of already trained for most of our lives. And besides, y-you don't really know much about ninja strategies..." His voice trailed off at the end of his sentence. He usually wouldn't hesitate to make such a bold (and somewhat boastful) statement, but something about the vibe Aizawa gave off just screamed "I'll beat your ass if you offend me."

But to Naruto's surprise, Aizawa didn't beat him. Instead, the teacher _smiled_.

"You may be experienced fighters in your world," he said in a slightly softer tone of voice. "But you know nothing of this world, let alone how to properly handle an encounter with a villain. I'll teach you everything you need to know." He paused for a moment, then with a playful smirk (what a strange expression to see on his face!), he added: "Don't underestimate me as a teacher."

The ninjas couldn't argue with that. Even Sasuke was swayed by the sincerity of Aizawa's rationalizations.

The raven-haired boy stepped forward.

"I'll go first," he told the teacher. "First, allow me to explain the basis of all ninja techniques. In our world, every person has varying levels of something called chakra. Chakra is our life force, but we also use it for our attacks. It can be concentrated in a body part—like your fist—to enhance that body part's power. It can also be released in the form an element, like water or fire."

Meanwhile, Sakura's eyes wandered to the crowd of students observing them. She saw a green-haired boy furiously scribbling in a tattered notebook as Sasuke spoke, an intensely focused expression on his freckled face.  
_'That boy’s acting kinda weird...'_

"I see." Aizawa stated once Sasuke finished speaking. "So that's how you're able to use so many different techniques; you have a flexible energy source. We don't have anything like that here."

"I know," Sasuke replied with a nod. "I haven't sensed any signs of chakra since our arrival.  
"Now... I'll demonstrate two things that are unique to me. First..." Sasuke closed his eyes, only to open them a moment later. "Sharingan!" His pitch black eyes were now a jarring shade of bright red, with three prominent black flecks surrounding his pupil.

"I am from a renowned clan in my world—the Uchiha clan. We are known for possessing the sharingan, an eye technique that allows us to predict someone's movements, copy their movements, see the flow of chakra in their body, and cast illusions."

Sakura felt her heart swell with sympathy, taking notice of the way Sasuke talked about his clan as if they were still alive.

"And there was something else you wanted to show us, right?" Aizawa reminded Sasuke.

"Yes. Everyone needs to stand back for this."

Aizawa nodded.

"Very well." He walked a few feet away from Sasuke. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata followed suit.

 _'I wonder what he's gonna do...'_ Naruto began to speculate in his mind. _'Chidori? Kirin?! Wait no, a Kirin wouldn't be possible right now...'_

Sasuke made several hand signs in rapid succession, and held his hand up to his face. He blew through his hand, and from his mouth came a stream of fire, which balled up into a huge hot sphere in front of him.

Most of the class shrieked or yelped in surprise.

“KYAAA!”

"Th-this guy is crazy powerful...!"

"What is he, even?!"

"That's the coolest thing I've seen all day! No, all week!"

As Sasuke overheard his classmates' extreme reactions, the corner of his mouth briefly twitched upwards. He stopped himself from smiling, and turned to face Aizawa.

"That was the Uchiha clan's fireball jutsu."

"I see. Thank you for showing us that, Uchiha," Aizawa said. Sasuke nodded.

"Hinata, you should go next," Sasuke said to the navy-haired girl, who flinched since she hadn't expected being directly addressed like that. "So you can show him your eye technique as well."

"O-Okay," Hinata replied, her lack of confidence coming through in her voice. She stepped forward and turned to face the audience. "U-Um... I guess you could say I'm also from a... 'well known' clan. The Hyuga Clan." She winced while saying those words. The Hyuga were actually universally hated in the Elemental Nations.

"B-Byakugan!" Veins suddenly appeared on Hinata's face, and her pearly eyes seemed to become sharper—more focused. "The Hyuga eye technique, the byakugan, allows us to see the flow of chakra. It also lets us use something called the gentle fist."

"And what _is_ the gentle fist?" Aizawa asked after Hinata stayed silent for a few moments.

"Um, basically, I can cause i-internal damage by hitting—or even grazing someone with the my hands. I can also block someone's chakra flow by hitting certain points on their body, which will incapacitate them." She hesitated for a moment, then said: "I can't show it to you right now. I-I'm not feeling m-my best."

Aizawa nodded. He suspected that it was an excuse to cover up her shyness, but he felt no need to force her into performing.

"Then we're moving on to the next person," he said.

Hinata, with embarrassed red cheeks, breathed a small sigh of relief and scurried away from the spotlight. Naruto took her place.

"OKAY!" His voice caught everyone's full attention, being much louder and more energetic than Sasuke and Hinata's. "So I don't have fancy eyes or a cool clan, but I _do_ have the rasengan!"

 _'Sasuke didn't show his chidori, and Hinata didn’t pull out her twin lion fists… so I won't go all out with the rasenshuriken either,'_ Naruto reasoned. _'It's rasengan time!'_

He held out his hand, and created a clone to paw at the air around his palm, almost like a cat pawing at a ball of yarn.

Soon, windy blue swirls of energy spun around in his palm. Once the rasengan was fully formed, Naruto allowed his clone to disappear. He grinned widely and looked right at Aizawa.

"I present to you, the rasengan! This bad boy does lotsa damage!" Naruto bragged. "If you get hit with this, you'll be down instantly, ya know!"

"Interesting," Aizawa said. "Is that made of chakra?"

"Yup! It's chakra shaped into wind!"

"...hold that rasengan for a moment," Aizawa instructed. The teacher walked over to a nearby training dummy and dragged it over, placing it right in front of Naruto. "Attack this dummy."

"Uh, okay!" Naruto backed away to get the distance needed for a proper running start, before dashing towards the dummy. He forcefully pressed the rasengan on the dummy's chest, causing it to immediately fly back a few feet.

Everyone watched quietly as Aizawa slowly retrieved the dummy. After bringing it back, he held it up for the entire class to see.  
In its chest was a hole where layers of dense stuffing and fabric used to be.

The sight of such damage elicited cheers and short compliments from a few of the students. Naruto bowed like an actor who'd just finished a performance, still holding the rasengan with his arm extended to the side.

"Great. Now for the last person—Haruno." Aizawa dropped the now-useless training dummy on the ground.

Naruto stood up straight and released his grip on the rasengan, causing a gust of wind to blow right into his face and mess up his hair. He chucked awkwardly and rejoined the group. 

Sakura strutted into everyone's line of sight, ready to show her technique.

"Hi, everyone! I'm not from a clan either, but that doesn't mean I’m weak. You see, _my_ specialty is chakra control," she stated proudly. "My main move? The chakra-enhanced punch. It can send people flying!" 

Her proud smile mutated into a devilish one. "Of course, to demonstrate the chakra-enhanced punch, I'll need a person to do it to. Any volunteers from the audience?"

At that moment, everyone in class 1A thought some variation of: _'Is she crazy?' or 'Haha, hell no.'_

After a few seconds passed with no one volunteering to be obliterated, Aizawa spoke up.

"There's another training dummy right over there," he said flatly, pointing behind Sakura.

"Ah. That'll do!" Sakura eagerly cracked her knuckles (the highly-audible noise made some students cringe), and then leaped at the dummy standing a few yards away.

"CHA!" She shouted with a raspy voice. After her fist collided with the dummy's chest, the dummy soared through the air and landed very, _very_ far away.

"Well, that was... violent," Aizawa commented, not sure what to say.

"Thanks," Sakura said cheerfully while she practically skipped back to the rest of the class.

 _'Ah, so she's the cute but scary type,'_ everyone else in 1-A mused.

Aizawa turned to look at his class.

"I hope the rest of you were paying attention," Aizawa addressed his students. "You'll have to work with these four in the future, so it's important that you know what they're capable of."

He checked the time.

"That's it for our morning class. It's pretty much lunch time, so you can all go to the cafeteria now." Aizawa paused for a moment, then said, "Haruno, Uzumaki, Hyuga, and Uchiha. Come with me to get your uniforms." Without saying anything else, he turned and started walking back to the building. Now that he was turned away from everyone, Aizawa finally allowed himself to smile. The new students were already starting to grow on him, despite how opposed he had been to enrolling them. Their abilities were so impressive… yet somehow, Aizawa still had a feeling they weren’t showing the true extent of their power.

Once the teacher left, everyone started chattering excitedly about the ninjas.

"G-Gah!" Naruto heard one of his classmates yelp.

"What's wrong, Deku-kun?!" Asked a girl, who Naruto recognized as Ochaco.

"My hand... It just hurts so much. It's completely cramped."

"Ohh, poor Deku-kun... Well, you _did_ write in your notebook at supersonic speed this entire time."

"Eheh, yeah... but I _had_ to do it. I had to record everything those ninjas said and did. Their techniques are so fascinating! And I've never heard of anything like chakra before. It's clearly extremely powerful, since it can be molded into different elemental attacks. It seems that back in their world, people are born with chakra; it's natural for them. I wonder, can naturally chakra-less people like you and me acquire it? And if we do, can we use it? Is there any way we could ever perform those incredible elemental techniques? I have so many questions. I wonder if..."

His speaking gradually became quieter until it eventually devolved into inaudible muttering. At that point, Naruto decided to stop eavesdropping. He snickered at the kid's obsessive interest.

"Come on, Naruto, we gotta follow Shouta-sensei." Sakura grabbed Naruto's arm and dragged him along. "By the way, Ochaco just asked if we wanna have lunch with her and her friends."

"Well, I don't see why not."


	7. Lunchtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically,
> 
> Iida is broken, Midoriya is timid, and Kaminari is flirty

While most of 1-A headed to the cafeteria, the ninjas followed Aizawa to a student activities office. From the closet Aizawa took two boy's uniforms and two girls uniforms, and gave them to his four new students. They changed into their new uniforms in the nearby bathrooms before going to the cafeteria.

They ninjas waited a few minutes before Uraraka arrived and showed everyone where to get their food.

"Get whatever you like!" she told the new students.

"Do they have ramen?" Naruto asked.

"Of course! We have a wide selection here at U.A...."

Uraraka couldn't finish her sentence before Naruto hurried off to get his ramen.

"Excuse his rudeness," Sakura sighed frustratedly.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Haruno. You should go ahead and get your food too, before the lines get too long."

"Okay! Come on, Sasuke-kun, Hinata." With that, Sakura dragged the two quiet teens to a nearby lunch line.

After taking a few minutes to get some lunch, the ninjas found Uraraka and her friends, and joined them at a large table.

Hinata, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura sat on one side of the table. Midoriya, Iida, Todoroki, Asui, and Uraraka sat on the other side (in that order.)

"It's very nice to meet you all," Asui said. "My name is Asui Tsuyu, but you can call me Tsu-chan. My quirk is that I'm part frog."

"And you already know me!" Uraraka chimed in. "Oh, and my quirk is anti-gravity. I can touch things to make them float." She turned to the boys. "Come on guys, introduce yourselves!"

"I'm Todoroki Shouto," Todoroki said blandly. "My quirk is ice." Midoriya glanced at the half-and-half boy, silently prompting him to say more. "...and fire."

"Your hair is really interesting, Shouto!" Sakura said tactlessly, pointing at Todoroki's head.

"...is that so?" Todoroki tensed up slightly.

"Y-Yeah, I've never seen anything like it," Hinata agreed shyly.

"How did you get two hair colors?" Sakura asked eagerly. "That’s not even _possible_ back in our world."

"...the white represents my ice, which comes out of the right side of my body. The red represents my fire, which comes out of my left side."

"That. Is. awesome!" Sakura praised.

"Oh wow, your eyes are also different colors," Naruto observed, leaning in closer and squinting for a better look at Todoroki's face. “They look pretty cool.”

"Thank you," Todoroki said shortly. He turned to Midoriya, wanting to take everyone's attention off himself. "Midoriya, your turn."

"Huh?"

"To introduce yourself."

"O-Oh... I'm M-Midoriya Izuku, and..." The green haired boy fidgeted, his nerves clearly getting the better of him. "I just think you guys are really c-cool, a-and it's an honor to have you all sitting at our table!..."

Naruto pushed away the urge to laugh.  
_'That’s funny, he's just as bad at speaking as Hinata!'_

"That’s so nice of you to say! By the way, what's _your_ quirk, Izuku?" Naruto inquired.

"Izuku…? " Naruto may have imagined it, but Midoriya's cheeks seemed to become tinted pink. "My quirk? It's, uhhh... Super strength!"

"Nice! Just like Sakura-chan."

Midoriya smiled, his nervousness melting away slightly.

"By the way... _Izuku~_ " Naruto purred, loving the greenhead's perplexed reaction to his own name. "Why does Ochaco call you Deku?"

"Yeah, isn't Deku... Kind of a mean name?" Sakura asked. She was usually opposed to asking about someone's personal matters like this, but her curiosity had taken over.

"Ah, w-well, it was originally an insult, but Uraraka-san turned it into a nickname. M-My childhood friend--er, classmate?--Kacchan has always called me 'Deku' to make fun of me," Midoriya explained in somewhat of a panic, gesturing with his hands for no apparent reason. "H-His name isn't Kacchan, though; it's actually Bakugou. Bakugou Katsuki."

"Oh. My. Gosh." Sakura's eyes sparkled with mirth.

"That nickname is sweeter than a cinnamon roll," Hinata pointed out.

"Kacchan?" Naruto snorted. "Sounds like something a girl would call her boyfriend."

The blush on Midoriya's face was _incredible._ It seriously could have rivaled Hinata.

"We're not like that... He doesn't even... I-I mean...!" He couldn't even compete a sentence.

"Hey, Izuku?" Naruto decided to spare the other boy some mercy by changing the subject. "Can _I_ call you Deku?"

"Huh?"

"I'm a big fan of nicknames, ya know." Naruto offered a bright and friendly grin, earning him a soft smile from Midoriya.

"Sure."

A few moments of silence passed before Uraraka craned her neck to look at the only student who hadn't introduced himself.

"Iida-kuuun," Uraraka said, playfully dragging the honorific.

He showed no reaction. He was staring blankly into his lunch (which, for some reason, was just a bowl of white rice).

"Iida-kun?" Uraraka tried again. "Shouldn't you introduce yourself to our new friends?" Still no response.

"Iida-kun, are you okay?" Midoriya placed a hand on Iida's shoulder and squeezed it to get the taller boy's attention. Iida didn't move a muscle or say a word, nor did he break his empty gaze away from the rice.

The atmosphere was now painfully awkward. All the excitement was now replaced with worry.

Todoroki decided to talk for Iida; Iida clearly wasn't going to speak, so there was no point in waiting for him.

"His name is Iida Tenya," Todoroki told the ninjas.

"Oh. Okay." Naruto didn’t know what else to say to that... He wasn’t about to say something weird like ‘oh, nice name.’

There was another awkward silence, though it was short-lived.

"…Well? What does 'engine' mean?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"He has engines in his legs that make him run really fast," Todoroki answered.

"Ahh, really?" Sakura said. "That's so cool!" Unnoticed by everyone except Midoriya and Uraraka, Iida winced as if he’d been pinched.

"All of you have such cool quirks," Hinata added.

"Sure, but I think we all know that your ninja powers are the coolest," said Asui.

"Really?" Naruto grinned. "Say, who do you think had the coolest powers?"

"I'd say Uchiha-chan."

"Uchiha-kun!"

"I agree. Uchiha."

"Uchiha-kun, I think..."

As always, Sasuke got all the praise. Naruto gritted his teeth, his left eye twitching (though somehow, his anger was more comical than intimidating).

"…Hn," Sasuke's little noise immediately became the subject of Naruto's anger.

"Shut up Sasuke, you stupid bastard!" Naruto snapped, flustered.

"Dumbass, I didn't even say anyth--"

"Shut it! You--"

"Don't cut me off," Sasuke interjected, yanking Naruto's ear.

"Ow, jerk!"

The sounds of Naruto's pained protests and Sasuke's scolding tone filled the air, easing the tension significantly and making everyone relax.

"Pfft… Are they always like this?" Uraraka asked Sakura.

"Yep, their relationship is... Interesting." Sakura then turned to Naruto. "Naruto, stop giving Sasuke-kun a hard time. Quiet down, will you?"

Naruto stopped struggling, and Sasuke let go of his ear.

"Fiiiiine..." Naruto pouted, crossing his arms.

Uraraka and Sakura giggled.

"Oh, um... guys?" Midoriya got the four ninjas' attention. "I have some questions for you, i-if you don't mind."

"So do we!" Said a new voice. Everyone turned to see a new group standing next to the table.

"Hi, ninjas! I'm Kaminari Denki."

"I'm Sero Hanta."

"I'm Ashido Mina! It’s nice to meet you."

"And I'm Mineta Minoru—totally single, by the way."

"To be honest, I'm just here to make sure these three troublemakers don't bother you," Sero explained. “Especially the guys.”

"Aw, come on! I'm not bothering them!" Kaminari whined.

"Me neither!" Mineta added with a huff.

"Your hair is _so_ weird!" Sakura interrupted bluntly, pointing at Mineta. "It's even more unusual than Shouto's!"

"You like it?" Mineta asked proudly, seemingly unfazed about being called 'weird.' "It's my quirk. These balls can be popped off my head and attached to anything. They're super sticky."

Naruto couldn't remember the last time he tried so hard not to laugh. His cheeks were puffed out so much that he looked even more like a frog than Asui. His face was also red from being unable to breath.

 _'He rips his balls off?! This is too hilarious!'_ Naruto screamed gleefully inside his head.

"I've never seen sticky balls before," Hinata said innocently, oblivious to how dirty her statement sounded.

"BAHAHA!" Naruto laugh-shouted suddenly, legitimately scaring almost everyone around him.

"Naruto!" Sakura growled while her blonde teammate suffered a serious case of the giggles. The pinkette lifted her fist threateningly. "What is wrong with you?"

"Gaah, I'm—haah—s-sorry, Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelped in between laughs. "I really t-tried—pfft—to hold it in...! Hahaha!"

"Don't laugh at me just because you've got some hotshot ninja techniques!" Mineta squeaked indignantly, jabbing a gloved finger in Naruto's direction.

"Speaking of ninja techniques," Todoroki cut in, veering the conversation back to its original topic. "Midoriya had some questions to ask.”

"Th-thank you, Todoroki-kun," Midoriya said, grateful for Todoroki’s intervention; he wouldn’t have been able to speak up himself due to his socially passive nature. “So, I was wondering… can chakra be transferred from one person to another?” 

“Yes, through the chakra transfer technique,” Sakura replied. “There are multiple variations of the technique. You can use it to heal a person’s wounds or strengthen their fighting prowess.”

“That’s incredible,” Midoriya said. “Is it possible to give chakra to someone like me?”

“I’m not sure, but you should keep in mind that your body isn’t accustomed to chakra,” Sakura replied apologetically. “I wouldn’t want to take the risk of giving you a substance that may be harmful to you.”

“Oh, okay…” Midoriya seemed slightly dejected.

“Don’t worry, Deku!” Naruto said with a grin and a thumbs-up. “You’re plenty strong even without chakra. Believe it!”

“Really? Thank you, Uzumaki-kun!” Midoriya sat up a bit straighter. “Oh, um, just wondering—why do you refer to everyone by their first names?”

The ninjas tried to think of an answer to Midoriya’s question, but they weren’t entirely sure what to say. First names were simply a norm where they came from. They couldn’t recall a concrete reason for it.

“It’s just... what we do in our world,” Hinata said with a shrug. “It’s unusual to call someone by their last name.”

“And what do your bandanas represent?” Ashido asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“These are actually headbands, ya know,” Naruto said. “Well, it doesn’t have to be a headband. You can wear it in other ways—like how Hinata has it around her neck. This leaf symbol on the metal plate represents our home: Konoha! Also known as the Hidden Leaf Village.”

“That’s awesome!” Ashido's smile grew. “So your village is probably really important to you, huh?”

“Yup!” Naruto affirmed. “Ninjas stay loyal to their village. Most represent their loyalty by wearing their headbands for all to see.”

“Hey, I have a question too,” Kaminari said with a sly grin. He leaned on the end of the table with his elbows, and stared right into Hinata’s eyes. “I’ve wanted to ask this all day.”

 _’Haha, oh nooo…’_ Ashido thought. _’That’s the smile he always wears when he’s about to flirt.’_

“…wh-what is it?” Hinata replied reluctantly, growing uncomfortable under the boy’s gaze.

“Wanna go on a date with me~?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided endgame ships: SasuSaku, NaruHina, BakuDeku, KamiSero
> 
> Funny how I say that right after Kaminari asks Hinata out--
> 
> Oh, and I'd like to thank everyone who encouraged me to do the pairings I want! Your support has been very helpful~


	8. Silent Struggles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> our two favorite quiet kids go through some internal struggles

In Kaminari's opinion, Hinata and Sakura were hot, and he could never resist hot girls. 

He preferred Sakura's appearance over Hinata's, but the pinkette was obviously more prone to anger and violence. Since he wasn't too keen on having a girlfriend who could and _would_ shatter his bones, he decided to settle on asking out the cute mild-mannered Hyuga.

"Will you go out with me?" The electric blonde asked with a charismatic wink. Instantly, an adorable blush formed on Hinata's cheeks.

Of course, Hinata was flattered. Throughout her entire life, she was not considered a pretty girl, and no boy ever spared her a second glance. So to receive the compliment of a date invitation was incredibly flattering.

 _'But... is he even serious?'_ Hinata wondered, a slight panic beginning to grip her heart. _'No one has ever liked me. I'm not attractive or interesting enough for a stranger to want to ask me out... This must be a joke at my expense...'_  
With that theory in mind, Hinata felt sick to her stomach.

"U-Uh... Well... Um..." She sputtered out filler words in a frantic attempt to prevent an awkward silence. Her face was now really hot, and she could feel the sweat forming on her forehead. Everyone's eyes were on her, waiting for a response. The girls seemed to be especially sympathetic.

_'Whether it's a joke or not, I have to say no. I want to be with Naruto-kun… and only Naruto-kun.'_

"Denki-san, I..." Hinata's voice trailed off as she desperately tried to conjure up the most gentle rejection possible. What if this boy actually _was_ interested in her, and he wasn't joking? To Hinata, it wasn’t likely, but it could be a possibility. Could she find a way turn him down without hurting his feelings?

Her swarming thoughts filled her with anxiety, and her eyes began to sting with unshed tears.

"S-Sorry..." She choked out. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

'Oh, no...' Kaminari's face was now scrunched up in worry and concern. _'Did I really just make a girl cry with my advances? Now I feel terrible!'_

"H-Hey, I didn't mean to—" Kaminari's apology was cut off by Mineta butting in.

"Well, what about me?" The short boy asked Hinata.

"Wh-what?" Hinata sniffled, blinking the tears away.

"Will you go out with _me_?"

"Oi." Sasuke spoke before Hinata could even start thinking of a reply. "You _just_ saw her reject that handsome boy—" Sasuke briefly gestured to Kaminari. "—so why would she ever choose a stubby gremlin like you?"

"What?! That's cruel, Uchiha!" Mineta complained loudly. "Don't be an asshole!"

"Why don't you shut up and back the hell off?! Cha!" Sakura gave the grape boy a hard glare, causing him to nervously back up and walk away.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Naruto asked.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, Naruto-kun," Hinata mumbled, her eyes still slightly red from almost crying. Naruto wasn't convinced, but he decided not to call out her lie.

"S-Sasuke-san, Sakura-san..." Hinata said quietly. "I appreciate your intervention, b-but I'm not sure if you two had to be so..."

"...harsh?" Sasuke finished. "Well, you were clearly upset, but Minoru didn't care at all. He doesn't deserve any slack."

"Yeah, Hinata," Sakura agreed. "He was too focused on trying to one-up Denki to notice that you were on the verge of tears. That made me so mad!"

"I-I understand..."

"Um, Uchiha-kun... did you really call me handsome just now?" Kaminari whispered in disbelief, staring at Sasuke with wide eyes. Sasuke ignored him.

"I think it's time to go," Sero stated sternly, a rare frown present on his constantly smiling face. "We've caused enough trouble here. Ashido, Kaminari, let's join Bakugou and Kirishima at our usual table."

“I didn’t really do anything wrong,” Ashido pointed out quietly. Sero’s frown deepened.

"Right..." Kaminari glanced at Hinata. "I'm sorry, Hyuga." He and Ashido were then dragged away by an unusually pissed-off Sero.

Those who remained at the lunch table didn't know what to do.

"Unfortunately," Asui was the first to talk again. "That kind of thing happens quite a bit around here. It's always Kaminari-chan or Mineta-chan."

"Especially Mineta-kun..." Midoriya murmured.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that on your first day here," Uraraka apologized.

"It's okay, Ochaco-san."

 _'Why apologize? It wasn't even your fault,'_ the Hyuga wanted to say.

"It really isn't," Asui countered.

Yet another awkward silence fell over the table, and for the second time, Todoroki was the one who broke it.

"I... I hope I'm not being insensitive right now," Todoroki said. "But… may I ask another question?"

"You're not being insensitive," Hinata assured with the best smile she could muster in her downcast state. She, too, wished to move past the tension that Mineta had created. "Please, go ahead and ask."

"Right. So, where did you all learn your skills?"

"The academy," Naruto answered easily.

"Well, that was where we learned the basics," Sakura elaborated. "After that, all the graduating students were put into three-man teams, along with one teacher."

"Sakura, Sasuke, and I were put in a team together, with the esteemed Kakashi-sensei as our teacher," Naruto added. "We're the totally awesome Team 7!"

"And then there was a period of about two and a half years when Team 7 split up," Sakura said.

Sasuke's shoulders stiffened.

"Yeah, I was taught by Pervy Sage to train on the more advanced stuff."

 _'Stop talking,'_ Sasuke demanded in his mind.

"You mean Master Jiraiya," Sakura corrected. "I also found a mentor: Lady Tsunade. She taught me a lot about strength enhancement."

 _'Shut up already!'_ Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. He needed to find a way to change the subject, but his mind was too scrambled by his dismay to think of a smooth transition.

~

_“You may be skilled for your age, but you still have a lot to learn.” The sinister grin on Orochimaru’s face and the shine in his amber eyes were enough to reveal his excitement. “I’ll turn you into a proper underling.”_

_“What are you saying?” Sasuke sneered. “I’m only training with you for revenge against Itachi. I’m not here to be your pawn.”_

_“Yes, of course...” Orochimaru’s concession was laced with a dismissive tone. He was too giddy about acquiring a future vessel to worry about Sasuke's motivations._

~

The memory left a bitter taste in Sasuke’s mouth. He wasn’t even listening to the others anymore; the sound of Hinata’s voice didn’t even register.

"I didn't have a mentor," Hinata said. "My team stayed together, so I trained with them. I also trained with my family. Especially my cousin Neji, the Hyuga Clan prodigy. He's a gentle fist master."

"I see… Your education system is pretty interesting! The structure doesn't seem quite as strict as ours. Clearly, it worked out for you, since you all became so skilled at such a young age. Your training in the academy must have been really intense. And I'm guessing the three-man teams were a method designed to optimize cooperation. Oh, but the downside is that you only become familiar with your teammates, so wouldn't that be a bit of a handicap if you were ever forced to work with other people...?"

"Midoriya-chan, you're muttering again," Asui said sweetly.

"Oops, I didn't even realize." Midoriya chuckled sheepishly before turning to Sasuke. "Uchiha-kun?”

Hearing his name, Sasuke was brought back to the present moment.

“How about you, Uchiha-kun? Who did you train with while your team was split up?"

_'A criminal who wanted to use me to further his despicable plans.'_

"No one," Sasuke replied shortly.

"But you're so strong! Surely, _someone_ helped you."

_'I trained with a traitor.'_

"Just drop it," Sasuke snapped, startling Midoriya with his venomous tone of voice.

At that moment, the bell rang to signal the end of lunchtime. Midoriya, Naruto, and their friends had all been so engrossed in their conversation that they’d lost track of time.  
Nearly all of the other students in the cafeteria had already put away their trays and cleaned up their messes, and were now leaving to go to their classes.

"I-I'm sorry, Uchiha-kun..." Midoriya stammered. "I didn't know it was a sensitive subject..."

"Do you need some time alone?" Asui asked Sasuke. "We can leave."

"Yeah," Sasuke said. Asui nodded.

Without another word, Midoriya and his friends picked up their lunch trays and headed to class (but not before Midoriya glanced at Sasuke with a repentant look).

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata sat uncomfortably on the bench for what felt like several minutes. Nobody spoke, yet it wasn't silent. Not for Sasuke.  
Undesirable thoughts, loud and exigent, forced their way into his mind.

_'I am a traitor.'_

Sasuke abruptly stood up and started walking away from the table.  
Away from his friends.

"Sasuke."

The Uchiha ignored Naruto and kept walking. It was mostly because he needed to clear his head (though a part of him also believed he really didn’t deserve to be with his friends anymore).

But Naruto wasn't going to let Sasuke run away from him again.

**"SASUKE!"**

"What is it, dumbass?" Sasuke finally stopped and turned around to look at his teammate.

"...You're my best friend, ya know."

And then the blonde gave Sasuke one of _those_ looks. The soft, understanding, and kind expression that says "I'm here for you no matter what, and I will always care about you whether you like it or not." The face that Naruto wore for those he wanted to _save_ —friends and enemies alike.

 _'What did I do to deserve a friend like you?'_ Sasuke wondered miserably, feeling an ache in his chest.

"...see you in class, Naruto." Sasuke then retreated from the cafeteria, ditching the three other teens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can't write angst to save my life


	9. Iida's Insecurity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof it's been over a month
> 
> sorryyyy

Sasuke told all the heroes-in-training to leave, so of course Iida complied. Once he and his other friends stepped out of the cafeteria, Iida tried to inconspicuously separate from the group. 

The wide hallways were no longer very crowded, so it was virtually impossible to sneak away. He only managed to walk ten feet before Uraraka yelled at him.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Uraraka rushed over to Iida, who had stopped in his tracks and was now clenching his fists at his sides. “You’re not going anywhere just yet. You _have_ to tell us what’s wrong!”

Iida turned around to face Uraraka. For the first time that day, he finally managed to speak.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to.” He mentally cursed the way his voice came out so small, so vulnerable.

“Iida-kun, we _know_ something’s bothering you,” Midoriya stepped forward as well. “You’ve been so quiet all morning, which just… isn’t normal for you. And you’ve had such a distant look as well.”

“Nothing is wrong,” Iida told Midoriya. Seeing the way his green-headed friend’s face scrunched up with frustration, Iida decided to add, “Nothing that I should burden _you_ with, at least.”

“Iida-kun.” Midoriya seemed to force his expression into a softer one. “It’s a little disappointing to hear you say that even though we’ve been over this before. Don’t you remember? ‘If you really find yourself in a bind with no way out, say something. That’s what friends are for.’ I think that applies in this situation.”

 _’That’s right… how could I be such a hypocrite?’_ Iida felt shame welling up within him. _’I would want Midoriya to open up to me, so I should to him as well. It’s what friends do.’_

Asui and Todoroki didn’t say anything, but their expectant stares expressed the same desire to listen and help.

“I’m terribly sorry to have made you all worry,” Iida began. “I… I didn’t want to express my feelings because…” He was distracted by a black blur in his peripheral vision. He turned his head to see that Sasuke had just left the cafeteria. The Uchiha was now hastily returning to class, his spiky black hair bouncing with every step.

“Because what, Iida-kun?” Uraraka pressed.

“Uh,” Iida’s gaze snapped back to his friends. “B-Because I wasn’t sure if my feelings were justified or correct. I was afraid that you would think less of me if you heard them.”

“Iida-kun!” Uraraka exclaimed in dismay. “You should never be afraid to share what’s bothering you, because we would never invalidate your feelings! Right, Deku-kun?” Midoriya nodded vigorously.

“Of course we wouldn’t! We want you to feel comfortable with speaking your mind around us.”

“I agree,” Asui chimed in. “So spit it out, Iida-chan.”

“Thank you. Thank you all so much.” A weak smile appeared on Iida’s face. “I’ll tell you what’s on my mind, then. I apologize in advance; this may sound rather… immature.”

“The apologies are unnecessary, Iida-chan,” Asui said. “You’re starting to sound like Midoriya-chan.”

“Oh. Um, right.” Iida took a deep breath to calm his increasing heart rate. “Earlier this morning, when the four new students took Aizawa-sensei’s quirk assessment, they performed phenomenally on both running portions. They… they completed the sprint in a fraction of a second, putting my three-second sprint to shame. They defeated me thoroughly in the long-distance run as well. It bothered me so much… My—my entire identity as a hero centers around my supposedly incredible speed, but that’s been taken away from me… Th-there are now _four_ people in this school who have bested me in what I’m supposed to do best. That’s… pathetic. I feel s-so pathetic…”

As always, Iida gestured with his hands while he spoke, but the movements of his hands were far less sharp and quick as usual. They seemed despondent.  
His voice grew more and more shaky the longer he spoke.

The others stood in stunned silence, searching for the right words to comfort their friend. What could they possibly say to all that?

While everyone stood there, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata left the cafeteria. The three ninjas seemed confused by the solemn expressions on their classmates’ faces. They looked like they wanted to ask what happened (and why Iida looked so upset), but thought better of it and walked away to class instead.

Midoriya was the first to speak (after the ninjas were out of earshot, of course).

“You shouldn’t be ashamed, Iida-kun,” he practically whispered, as if he was afraid to say the wrong thing. “Even if their speed is astonishing, you’re still really fast. It’s not like you’ve gotten any slower…”

“And you know,” Asui said gently. “You’re not the only one who's been bested by the ninjas. Haruno-chan is stronger than Shoji, apparently.”

“Right!” Uraraka agreed. “And Hyuga has Ojiro-kun beat in the martial arts department.”

“Uchiha has more destructive power than Bakugou,” Todoroki added. His voice seemed to have a very slight hint of joy that only his close friends would be able to notice. “He easily used that huge fireball jutsu without even breaking a sweat. Bakugou would be pushing his limits if he made an explosion of that size.” The bicolored boy almost looked glad that Bakugou was knocked down a peg.

“And based on what I saw from the whole assessment, I have a feeling that Uzumaki-kun’s endurance is greater than… well, all of ours.” Midoriya offered a small smile. “See, Iida-kun? You’re not alone in this.”

“I… I guess I’m not…” Iida murmured. He stood up a little straighter in an attempt to compose himself, though he was staring at the floor.

“And this shouldn’t be seen as a hopeless situation.” Midoriya stepped closer and placed his hand on Iida’s shoulder. “You’ve improved since the beginning of this school year, and you’ll continue to improve. If you keep working hard, I’m sure you can become even faster than the ninjas.”

“You think so?” Iida looked up to meet Midoriya’s understanding green eyes.

“Of course, Iida-kun.” Midoriya let go of Iida’s shoulder.

“You can do it, Iida-kun!” Uraraka cheered.

“I believe in you too, Iida-chan,” Asui said.

“You’ve got this,” Todoroki affirmed simply.

After getting over his initial surprise, Iida felt a wave of relief wash away his insecurity. A grateful smile appeared on his face as he looked between his four friends.

“Thank you, everyone…”

Everyone was smiling, except for Todoroki, though it was clear that he was satisfied as well.

“Glad we’ve got that solved!” Uraraka sighed. “Let’s head to class now.”

“Yes… wait…” Iida’s eyes became comically large as a terrible realization dawned on him. “WE’RE ALL LATE FOR CLASS!”

Without warning, he dashed down the hallway with his quirk activated.

“Wai—Iida-kun! I thought we weren’t supposed to run!”

“Or use our quirks!”  
Uraraka and Midoriya’s protests fell on deaf ears. They ran after their class rep, Asui and Todoroki following close behind.


	10. Class

Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata hesitantly entered the classroom and took their seats in the front. Nobody was speaking, and there was a fearful vibe in the air. The reason why was quite obvious.

Aizawa wasn’t in his yellow sleeping bag (the caterpillar-looking thing was sitting lifelessly in the front corner of the room). The tired teacher was at his desk, and had been glaring at Sasuke nonstop. Now that the other three ninjas were here, he redirected his angry gaze to them.

A few minutes later, Iida and his friends walked in. Aizawa’s glare shifted once again, and was now directed at the five newcomers. They shuffled awkwardly to their seats, Iida looking especially guilty. The blue-headed boy fiercely fought the urge to apologize profusely to his teacher, since he would probably just get yelled at.

Once everyone was seated, Aizawa broke the crushing silence.

“Nine late students.” He began in that low, rough voice he used when he was pissed off but trying to hold back. “I shouldn’t have to say that that’s unacceptable... I was going to give you all a choice, but I don’t think you deserve that privilege anymore.”

‘A choice in what?’ Everyone wondered.

“I suppose I’ll have to decide who the new students will share dorm rooms with. Uzumaki will be with—“

“W-Waaaaait!” Naruto cried, standing up. Everyone’s eyes were immediately on him, and some students even gasped at the blonde’s audacity. “Can’t you let us decide, Shouta-sensei? Can’t you?”

Aizawa’s scarf began to unravel and float in the air. Naruto realized that he made a grave mistake by interrupting the teacher.

“Why _should_ I let you decide?” He growled.

Naruto gulped nervously.

“B-Because if we have to share a room with people we don’t like, well…” Naruto mentally groped for a reason—any reason. “…we’re gonna end up arguing a lot, ya know! And arguing leads to fighting, a-and fighting leads to—to…“

“…Property damage,” Sasuke finished.

“Yeah, what he said!” Naruto rolled with it. “You don’t want us to wreck school property, do you?”

“You should know better than to fight on school grounds,” Aizawa retorted. “Even if you’re not on good terms with a classmate.”

Naruto’s face twisted with worry.  
Sensing her teammate’s desperation, Sakura spoke up.

“Shouta-sensei. With unfit roommates, the quality of our living conditions will be unsatisfactory. The resulting stress definitely won’t foster optimal performance in class and training exercises.”

The anger slipped away from Aizawa’s face. He seemed to be considering Sakura’s sensible words.

“Hm. You’re right,” he admitted, his gravity-defying scarf returning to his shoulders. “Then you may spend the rest of today’s class negotiating your living arrangements. Have your roommate pairs decided by the end of the period.”

“Yes!” Naruto raised both fists in the air triumphantly. “Thanks, Shouta-sensei!”

“Thank you, Shouta-sensei.” Sakura said cheerily with a very slight and quick bow.

Aizawa rolled his eyes with a bit of a scowl. He couldn’t believe he had taken a student’s suggestion so easily. He wanted to be more authoritative, but Sakura was right. He couldn’t argue with what she said.

Feeling pretty done with social interaction for the day, Aizawa crawled into his sleeping bag, and zipped it up all the way so that no part of his body was visible.

Soon, several students expressed their amazement at the way Naruto avoided getting his ass whooped by Aizawa, even after interrupting the grumpy teacher in the middle of his scolding speech.

“Really, it was all thanks to Sakura’s intelligence,” Sasuke told them. He gave Naruto a condescending look. “Otherwise, _this_ doofus wouldn’t have made it out unscathed.”

Sakura blushed and smiled at the compliment, while Naruto rolled his eyes.

After almost a whole class of discussion among the 1-A students, it was eventually decided that Naruto would stay in Midoriya’s room, Sasuke would be with Todoroki, Sakura would be with Ochaco, and Hinata would be with Hagakure.

Midoriya was desperate to have a ninja for a roommate, but more so, a friend. He simply couldn’t miss the opportunity to learn some tricks and techniques from a trained killer (not that he wanted to kill anyone, but knowing some new techniques would definitely give him an edge in battle). With all of his courage, the shy greenette asked Naruto to live with him. The whiskered boy said yes to the offer quite easily, which was a rather pleasant surprise for Midoriya.

Sasuke sort of wanted to be with Tokoyami; the bird-headed boy seemed to have a dark aesthetic, which Sasuke liked. But Tokoyami insisted that Sasuke would adore Todoroki’s Japanese-themed room instead.  
Tokoyami probably just wanted to protect his personal space, and Sasuke couldn’t really blame him for that.  
At some point during the class, Kaminari offered his room to Sasuke, but the Uchiha declined. He knew he probably wouldn’t enjoy constantly dealing with the airheaded blonde’s antics.

Uraraka and Sakura paired up because they were friendly with each other since the moment they first met. Sakura almost couldn’t imagine being with anyone other than her pleasant new friend.

Finally, Ojiro suggested that Hinata be with Hagakure. Hagakure eagerly embraced the idea of having a new friend to talk to. Hinata slightly dreaded being around someone so extroverted all the time, but she agreed anyway, unwilling to crush Hagakure’s excitement. Ojiro secretly hoped that his bubbly invisible friend could help Hinata build some confidence and be comfortable in U.A.

The period ended and it was time for Present Mic’s English class. The blonde teacher entered the room and greeted everybody in his usual loud, announcer-like voice.

Aizawa still didn’t want to leave the comfort of his sleeping bag, so he inched out of the room like a literal caterpillar. All the students’ eyes were fixed on the disturbing sight.

After Aizawa left, the lesson began. As always, Mic seemed way too excited to lecture a group of kids for an hour and a half.

“I hope you’re all ready, because it’s time forrrr…” the teacher stretched out the word and paused for dramatic effect. “GRAMMAR PRACTICE!”

Ashido and Kaminari groaned loudly at the same time.

“Aw, don’t be like that, kids!” Mic said in English.

Naruto blinked a few times, unsure if he’d imagined what he just heard. He turned his head to the right to exchange a look with his friends. They seemed to share his confusion.

“But it’s so haaard,” Ashido complained.

“It may be hard, but you can do it if you put your mind to it!” Mic replied, once again in English. Kaminari let out an annoyed “ughhh.”

Sasuke raised his hand.

“You have a question?” Present Mic pointed at Sasuke.

“Yes,” Sasuke replied. “A moment ago, you almost seemed to be speaking… gibberish. What was that?”

“English, of course!”

“English…?”

“That’s the language you’re learning in this class, of course!”

“We’re learning… a language?” Naruto reiterated dumbly.

“Yeah! Is something wrong with that?” Mic asked.

“Well, we only have one language back home,” Sakura told him. Mic blinked in surprise.

“Ah, lucky you.” Ashido sighed. “You don’t know the struggles of learning the proper spelling and grammar of a language you won’t even need—“

“Now hold on,” Present Mic interjected. “I can assure you, English will be very useful in the future when you’re all pro heroes. So let’s get through this lesson, okay?” He glanced at the ninjas in the front row. “Try to pay attention, but don’t worry if you don’t understand anything. I won’t make you do any work this period.”

“And how is that fair?” Aoyama mumbled.

“It would be unfair to make ‘em work, given their disadvantage,” Mic replied. “Now—on to the lesson!”

The ninjas had no clue what was happening while Present Mic flew through the lecture and spoke a few sentences in that weird, foreign language of his.

Near the end of class, Mic gave the four of them a packet filled with vocabulary and grammatical rules.

“Here’s a study guide with some of the basics you need to know about English,” he said. “I’ll give you until Monday to study it, and then we’ll have some private tutoring to help you catch up.”

“Uh-huh,” Naruto answered flatly. Mic just smiled at him.

“I advise you to study this packet with someone smart!” he chirped. He then coughed not-so-subtly, “Momo.” The black-haired girl blushed happily at the small recognition of her skill.

“Riiiight.” Naruto said with a skeptical look. He wasn’t exactly a fan of studying in his free time.

Cementoss’s American Literature class came next, and once again, the ninjas were excused from doing work.

Sasuke could sense the envy of the other students, who’d received both classwork and homework. Meanwhile, he and his friends only received another study guide.

 _'Why are they so jealous?'_ Sasuke internally sighed. _'They have the advantage here, given their prior exposure to these subjects.'_ He spaced out during Cementoss’s lecture, thinking of how tough these U.A. classes would be.


	11. Settling In

The school day seemed to drag on forever. At least, it did for the ninja students of the class.

None of them had a clue what was going on, since they’d never seen a word of English in their lives. It was a strange, confusing language. Why did this world have multiple languages anyway?... It just didn’t make sense.

Once the final class of the day ended, Aizawa returned to the classroom, looking slightly less exhausted than before. He must have had a nap.

“Uzumaki, Uchiha, Haruno, and Hyuga,” he said, getting everyone’s attention. “Come to the staff room at seven p.m.”

“Are we in trouble?” Naruto asked almost reflexively. He always presented that same question whenever Iruka wanted to talk to him (and he usually _was_ in trouble).

“No. We need to discuss the specifics of your arrival.”

“Okay?” Naruto tilted his head slightly. Without further elaboration, Aizawa left, leaving Naruto slightly confused.

“I think it’s so he can figure out how to get us back to Konoha,” Sasuke explained as he and the others friends left the classroom.

“Ohh, got it.” Naruto smiled, though it was a bit forced. He seriously hoped Aizawa _could_ get them home. He couldn’t bear to imagine never seeing Konoha again.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata were all having similar worried thoughts, but they were interrupted by a large group of kids surrounding them in the hallway.

“Hn. Can we help you?” Sasuke asked the crowd. He was met with eager grins.

“Come chill with us in the common room!” Kaminari said energetically. “We wanna get you know you guys better!” His statement was meant for all of the four ninjas, but he was staring intently into Sasuke’s eyes only. The Uchiha looked away.

“Alright, sounds fun, ya know!” Naruto said.

All of class 1-A (minus Bakugou, who had disappeared immediately after class) went to the common room. Some kids had to sit on the floor due to limited space, but they didn’t mind. Everyone was fully engaged in the conversation.

~  
~  
~

Are eye techniques common where you're from?" Asui asked the ninjas.

"Not really," Sasuke replied. "Only the Uchiha, Hyuga, and a handful of random people have eye techniques."

"Random people?" Asui repeated, unsure what Sasuke meant.

"You know... Insignificant people."

"Damn," said Kaminari with a lopsided smile, enjoying Sasuke's comedic harshness.

"Anyway,” Sasuke continued. “The only three dojutsu that actually _matter_ are sharingan, byakugan, and rinnegan."

~

“It’s kinda dumb that you can’t use your quirks in public,” Naruto argued. “How the heck can you defend yourself? And what if there’s a problem you can only solve with your quirk?”

“…That’s what pro heroes are for,” Sato countered. “And you shouldn’t abuse your abilities for trivial things,” 

“Yeah, NARUTO.” Sakura glared at him.

“Huh? What did I do, Sakura-chan?” Naruto whined under Sakura’s aggressive gaze.

“Don’t think I forgot the time you used a rasengan to blow up my skirt!”

All the girls stared at Naruto.

“In my defense, she wears spandex shorts underneath! It wasn’t completely pervy.”

Sakura punched him, while Hinata covered her face with both hands to hide her disappointment.

~

"Man, you two must be popular back in Konoha," Kirishima said to Sasuke and Hinata with a wistful (and slightly envious) smile on his face. "You know, since you're from the two most important clans."

Sasuke and Hinata exchanged a look.

Sasuke used to be popular, but not anymore because of his temporary alliance with Orochimaru.  
And Hinata was never popular at any time in her life.

The two of them both chuckled uncomfortably.

Kirishima tilted his head in confusion. "Did I say something funny?"

~

"Oh, so All Might isn't All Might's real name?" Naruto scratched his head.

"That's just his hero name. Every hero has one." Todoroki thought for a moment. "And villains come up with unique names for themselves too."

"Ah, cool! Konoha nin should do codenames too!" Naruto smiled. "Mine would be Orange!"

"Orange," Sakura deadpanned. "Just orange?"

"Yeah! It's the one word that describes my soul! Well, ramen too." Naruto's eyes widened as if he came to a phenomenal realization. "Wait, my codename should be Orange Ramen! And Sakura, you could be Pink Punch!"

Sakura punched him again.

~

"Hatake-sensei sounds like a perv!" Ashido said, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

"I agree!" Naruto affirmed.

"What do you mean?" Mineta asked. "He sounds perfectly normal to me."

~

"This world has way too many languages and countries," Sakura complained.

"Perhaps, but remember!—France is the best of them all!" Aoyama stated, causing all of his classmates to turn against him and argue with him in favor of Japan.

~

"How are the Akatsuki still running amok?" Ojiro asked, bewildered. "No one has tried to stop them?"

"Oh, trust me. People have tried," Sasuke said. "But the Akatsuki is exceptionally strong."

"Well, there isn't a unified police force or even military?"

"Nope."

~

"That 'Hero Killer' guy sounds horrible!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why didn't you guys just kill him?!" Midoriya and Iida winced.

"H-Heros don't kill villains," Midoriya explained meekly. "We just imprison them."

"Even when the villain poses a serious threat to your life, and the lives of others?" Sasuke pressed.

"Uchiha-kun, if I could kill that bitch, I most certainly would," Iida said with a serious expression.

And then everyone freaked out over Iida cursing, while the blue-headed boy flushed in embarrassment from his slip-up.

~

"So you don't have cars, skyscrapers, or big bustling cities?" Hagakure.

"W-Well, no," Hinata answered.

"How about tape dispensers?" Sero added partially joking.

"What's a tape dispenser?" Hinata inquired.

Sero clutched his chest in an exaggerated gesture of hurt, while Hagakure gasped.

“I can't imagine living in such an old-school world!" The invisible girl declared.

~

"Whoa..." Naruto whispered in amazement, staring in awe at the device in his hands. Sakura was leaning in close to gawk at it as well. Hinata and Sasuke were captivated at well, though they tried not to be as obvious about it.

Some of the 1-A students were snickering at the ninjas' reaction to something so common.

"So, you can do just about everything with this device, huh? That's incredible," Sakura commented.

Naruto handed the cell phone back to Jirou, its owner.

"I think I want one of my own!" Naruto turned to Sasuke. "How 'bout you, Sasuke?"

"..It would be useful. It did have a lot of practical applications." Which was Sasuke's 'cool' way of saying _"Hell yeah I want one!"_

~  
~  
~

Class 1-A talked for hours, breaking the ice. By the end of their group conversation, the heroes and ninjas knew the basics of each other’s universes. They now understood each other a little better, so Naruto and his friends felt even more like a part of the class than before.

It was now 6:50, and the ninjas were making their way to the U.A. staff room, as Aizawa instructed them to.

“We didn’t reveal too much to them, right Sasuke?” Naruto asked his black-haired friend.

“No, we didn’t,” Sasuke replied. “This school seems like a safe enough environment for us to open up a bit to our peers. Just be sure not to say anything about your more advanced techniques.”

They soon arrived at the staff room, which at the moment was dimly lit and occupied only by Aizawa, who was sitting at a couch placed in front of a table and four chairs.

“Hey, Shouta-sensei,” Naruto greeted with a small wave.

“It’s Aizawa-sensei,” he corrected, though with less of an irritated tone than before. “Sit down.”

The four students complied. On the table in front of them were four blank forms.

“Apparently, you’re from an alternate universe,” Aizawa sighed. “We’re gonna need to create an official record of your existence in this world, so fill those out.”

The ninjas looked down to see that the form asked for some general personal information: name, sex, nationality, date of birth, current address, and family.

“For the address, put U.A.’s location,” Aizawa clarified. “And for nationality, just put Japanese.”

They all started writing, and at some point, Aizawa caught a glimpse of Naruto’s sad face as the blonde boy wrote on his paper. The melancholic expression only lasted a moment, though.  
After all four teens finished the paperwork, Aizawa gave them each one more form.

“Now, write down your exact memory of how you got here.”

Once again, the four students cooperated. Once they were done, Aizawa gave a curt nod.

“I’ll hand these reports in to the investigators. You’re free to go.”

“Oh, that’s it?” Naruto cracked a smile. He’d expected a little more interrogation, but thankfully, Aizawa had made it a bit easier for them. “Okay! See ya tomorrow, Shouta-sensei!”

“…alright.” Aizawa didn’t feel like correcting Naruto on his name again.

After he was left alone in the room, Aizawa read over the four students’ personal info forms. A certain section—the one about family—surprised him a little.

Sakura’s form.  
**PARENT 1**  
**Name: Haruno Kizashi**  
**Sex: Male**  
**Is this parent living? - Yes**  
**PARENT 2**  
**Name: Haruno Mebuki**  
**Sex: Female**  
**Is this parent living? - Yes**  
It was normal enough, but the others… not so much.

Hinata’s form.  
**PARENT 1**  
**Name: Hyuga Hisashi**  
**Sex: Male**  
**Is this parent living? - Yes**  
**PARENT 2**  
**Name: Hyuga Hamika**  
**Sex: Female**  
**Is this parent living? - No**  
Hinata had no mom.

Sasuke’s form.  
**PARENT 1**  
**Name: Uchiha Fugaku**  
**Sex: Male**  
**Is this parent living? No**  
**PARENT 2**  
**Name: Uchiha Mikoto**  
**Sex: Female**  
**Is this parent living? - No**  
Sasuke was an orphan.

And finally, Naruto’s form.  
**PARENT 1**  
**Name: Unknown**  
**Sex:**  
**Is this parent living? - No**  
**PARENT 2**  
**Name: Unknown**  
**Sex:**  
**Is this parent living? - No**  
Naruto was an orphan as well, though it seemed that he’s never even met his parents…

 _'These kids have been through a lot,'_ Aizawa thought, setting down the personal info paperwork with a light exhale. _'Three out of four of them are missing parents. It’s uncanny… Well, maybe not. Maybe their world is far more brutal than I imagined. They are actual ninjas, after all.'_

He suddenly remembered Hinata’s shyness, the way she fidgeted with her fingers and spoke so quietly that she couldn’t be heard. And Sasuke’s coldness, the way his speech lacked personality other than hints of arrogance and even caution. And finally, Naruto’s troublemaking, the way he was so loud and obnoxious as if he was afraid people would forget his presence otherwise.

These weren’t just unexplainable traits that had appeared for no reason.  
Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto grew up without the love and attention of both parents, which surely affected their psyche and behavior in a negative way.

_'So there’s a lot more to them than I thought.'_

Aizawa shook his head and moved on to read the ninjas’ reports of their portal incident.

Based on what they wrote, it seemed that they were having a normal day yesterday. They relaxed at a teahouse outside Konoha, and took a detour on a forest path while trying to head back home. Sasuke sensed a strange energy ahead, and Naruto charged forward recklessly. Sasuke chased Naruto, resulting in the both of them being sucked into a dark portal. Sakura then followed, and finally, Hinata went in as well. None of them could remember anything inside the portal; they probably fell unconscious as soon as they slipped inside. Then they all woke up in this universe, in an alleyway by a busy city street early this morning.

Fortunately, their stories were all the same (though the vocabulary in Naruto’s report was far less proper, including phrases such as “whoooosh” and “totally freaky” and “believe it!”).  
The consistency of the stories would make the investigation much easier, since no fact-checking or inferencing was necessary.

Aizawa put the eight pieces of paperwork into a folder. He stood up and left with the folder in his hand. He still felt a little unsettled from realizing just how tough these kids’ lives must have been.

_'I might have to give Uzumaki, Uchiha, and Hyuga some special attention.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "insignificant people" Sasuke mentioned are those few random filler characters with some random dojutsu. I just had to make a jab at those useless guys, lol.
> 
> Also, I gave Hinata's mom a name, Hamika, since she doesn't have a canon name. And I wrote that she's dead 'cause we never see her in canon... Poor Hinata...


	12. Roommates

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata walked down the hall to find the dorm area.

"That went easier than I thought," Naruto commented. He was walking in his usual relaxed position, with both hands behind his head. "I thought Shouta-sensei was gonna be all up in our faces and say something like, 'where were you on the night of last night?' Like some sort of interrogation. So I’m glad all we had to do was write."

As they turned the corner, Naruto was against the wall, so he couldn't react quickly enough to the other person who collided into him.

Naruto, unable to keep his balance, fell to the floor on his butt. On instinct, the other three ninjas immediately backed away a little bit to assess the situation.

"Ow!"

"Watch where you're going, you whiskered fuck!" It was a voice Naruto never heard before. He looked up to see an angry boy with lighter blonde hair shooting out in all directions. This must have been Bakugou, the guy who left right after class.

"Hey, you bumped into me too, ya know!" Naruto got up and met Bakugou with a glare of his own, trying not to be intimidated by the fire in Bakugou's red eyes.

"Hah? Do you want to die, Whiskers?!" Bakugou leaned in closer to Naruto, and held out his hand to the side, as if he was about to use his quirk.

 _'Die? Does he want to kill me?_ Naruto felt his heart rate increase a little. He didn't want to fight a classmate to the death, especially not in the school hallway.

"You better be joking," Sasuke said to the bully in a calm warning tone.

“Yeah, you better back off! Cha!” Sakura barked.

Bakugou's head jerked to the side as he shot Sasuke and Sakura a death glare. 

Meanwhile, Hinata was leaning forward ever so slightly with one foot in front of the other, a conflicted expression present on her face. She wanted to interfere, she really did. She wanted to stand up for her crush... but her fear of being noticed (especially by someone as fearsome as Bakugou) prevented the shy girl from doing anything remotely heroic.

Bakugou backed away from Naruto and scoffed.  
"Stay out of my way," he spat. He walked away in the opposite direction. The four new students stayed still and silent as they watched him leave.

“Na-Naruto-kun, are you okay?” Hinata finally spoke once Bakugou was out of sight.  
_What’s wrong with me? I’m so pathetic,_ Hinata cried in her head, ashamed that she couldn’t even speak until Bakugou was gone.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Naruto glanced down the hallway where Bakugou went. "...what the hell was all that about? He got so mad so fast!"

“I don’t know, but he better watch himself,” Sakura growled, clenching her right fist. “Making threats like that means he’s nothing but trouble.”

“Let’s try not to deal with him, then,” Sasuke said, wanting to move on from the incident already. “We better go to our dorms. Aren’t you guys tired?”

“Yeah… it’s been a long day,” Hinata agreed. Sakura and Naruto, both still a little irritated, nodded.

They went to the Heights Alliance together, and parted ways to find their respective dorm rooms.

~  
~  
~

Sakura knocked a rhythmic pattern on Uraraka’s door, which was opened by the brunette just a few moments later.

“Oh, hey Haruno!” Uraraka greeted with a bright countenance.

“Hey, Ochaco!” Sakura smiled warmly at her friend.

“Come on in!” Uraraka opened the door wider and stepped to the side, allowing Sakura to enter. Next to Uraraka’s bed, there was a spare mattress with plain pillows and a blanket.

“My room’s kinda plain,” Uraraka laughed. “I hope this is okay.”

“Oh, yeah, this is fine!” Sakura sat on the mattress and took off her sandal-boots. “This seems pretty comfy.”

“You know, I was pretty bored just now, so I’m glad you’re here!” Uraraka seemed rather eager to talk.

“I’m sorry, Ochaco, but I’m kinda sleepy,” Sakura apologized. “We can hang out tomorrow, though.”

“Aw, alright. I guess I’ll sleep too then.” Uraraka flipped the light switch, and darkness settled over the room. “Goodnight, Haruno!”

“’Night, Ochaco.”

~

Hinata knocked on Hagakure’s door very lightly. The invisible girl opened it after a minute, and literally jumped for joy.

“Ah, Hyuga! Welcome to my dorm room! Hope ya like it!” She stepped aside, and Hinata walked in, pleasantly surprised by the décor.

“It’s so pink and cute,” she marveled. Hinata usually didn’t express it openly, but she enjoyed cute things like this.

“Hehe, yep! That’s my style!” Hagakure shut the door and bounced over to Hinata. “This is where you’ll sleep!” Her sleeve pointed to a stack of very thick and fluffy pastel-colored blankets, with a frilly pillow on top. “I didn’t know you’d be staying here, so I’m sorry for not having a real bed.”

“Th-That’s okay!” Hinata assured. “It actually looks even softer than a real bed. Well, I guess I’ll go to sleep now.”

“Huh? Already?” Hagakure asked with a disappointed tone. “But it’s so early!”

“T-Today was very eventful for me…” Hinata mumbled bashfully. “B-But I can stay up longer, if you want me to…”

“No, silly!” Hagakure giggled. “If you’re sleepy, go to sleep! I won’t stop you.”

“Oh, okay. Thank you, Toru-san.” Hinata slipped off her sandals and sat on the makeshift bed, while Hagakure turned off the frilly pink lamp lighting up the room. Everything was dark except for the bluish glow of Hagakure’s laptop screen.

“You don’t mind the light from my computer, right?” Hagakure asked.

“No, it’s fine,” Hinata replied, lying down. Her body sank into the super-soft blankets.

“Great! 'Night!” Hagakure sat at her desk to continue her online game.

“Goodnight, Toru-san.”

~

Sasuke knocked on Todoroki’s door.

“Come in.” Todoroki’s voice came slightly muffled from inside the room.

Sasuke let himself into the room, and couldn’t help but be impressed by the perfectly traditional structure and style. It was just like his home in the now empty Uchiha residence.

Todoroki was lying down on a big Japanese sleeping mat, texting on his phone.

“Hello,” Sasuke said, just to be polite.

“Hi.” Todoroki turned off his phone and set it down beside him. He looked up at Sasuke. “Do you want to sleep now? I know you must be tired.”

“Yeah.”

Sasuke left his sandals by the door, next to Todoroki’s sneakers. He lied down about two feet away from the half-and-half boy.

The mat was large enough for them to both use without it being awkward. But even so, the lack of words exchanged between them created a slightly tense air in the room.

~

“Hey, Deku.” Naruto said as he opened the door without permission. He stopped in his tracks, and gawked at Midoriya’s room.

Otaku culture wasn’t a thing in Konoha, or anywhere in the elemental nations (as far as Naruto knew). So seeing a total All Might shrine kind of freaked him out.  
There were various All Might action figures, All Might wall posters, framed All Might photos, All Might curtains, and even an All Might rug. This was so not normal.

_'This guy is obsessed with All Might! Is he a stalker type?'_

Midoriya was lying on his bed reading a hero-related book, until he heard the door open and the sound of Naruto’s voice.

“Oh, h-hi, Uzumaki-kun!” Midoriya greeted with a friendly smile, sitting up on his bed. Naruto wasn’t paying attention, though; the Uzumaki was too mesmerized by some of the All Might Posters on the wall.

“Ah, s-sorry, I know my room is a little…” Midoriya was now blushing, looking down at the rug. “…weird.”

“What? No, uh, don’t worry about it!” Naruto offered a reassuring smile and closed the door behind him.

“You don’t mind?” Midoriya asked, still looking away.

“No, not at all!” Which was a slight lie. Naruto was a little weirded out. Just a little bit.

Midoriya looked back up, his face still red, and forced a small smile.

“So, where am I gonna sleep? I’m pretty tired.”

“…oh no, I didn’t think this through, did I?” Midoriya suddenly stood up, and gestured to his bed. “You can sleep here. I’ll just, uh, sleep on a blanket?”

“Huh? No way! I’m not stealing your bed,” Naruto protested. “I’ll take the blanket, okay?” Truthfully, he would very much prefer a bed, but he would feel too bad about making Midoriya sleep on the floor.

“But I don’t want to make you sleep on the floor,” Midoriya countered, his words starting to sound a little panicky. “Please, take the bed. I insist.”

“But it’s _your_ room, and _your_ bed.” Naruto huffed. “Don’t worry about me, seriously.”

“B-But you’re a guest! You should feel comfortable.”

“Well, so should you, Deku!”

“...Th-there’s only one way to settle this, then.” Midoriya put his hand on his chin and gazed down at the floor, as if he was thinking really hard. “It’ll be a little strange, but it’s the only way to prevent either of us from sleeping on the floor and being uncomfortable. I hope you don’t mind this. It’ll just be a temporary solution until I get you a proper mat or something to sleep on…” realizing that he was starting to mutter, Midoriya looked back at Naruto sheepishly.

“What the heck do you mean by ‘temporary solution’?” Naruto asked.

~

Later that evening, Naruto found himself way too close to his new green-haired friend. Midoriya seemed to already be asleep, but Naruto couldn’t even bring himself to close his eyes.

The two boys were sharing Midoriya’s bed, lying inches apart.

 _’This is too freaking weird,’_ Naruto thought miserably, wishing he’d just set aside his morals and let Midoriya take the floor.

~  
~  
~

Naruto couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. He'd probably spent a whole hour intermittently looking at Midoriya's soft freckled face. The greenette looked so peaceful and relaxed as he slept.

Naruto, on the other hand, was unbearably tense.

Slowly and carefully, Naruto got up from the bed and put his sandals back on. He left Midoriya's room and went for a walk down the hallway, hoping to clear his head.

He eventually ended up at the common room, which was completely dark. Coincidentally, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata went there too, and even arrived there at the same time as him.

"You're here too?" Naruto asked as he flipped the common room's light switch.

"Yeah." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What are you all doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," Sakura admitted.

"Me neither," Hinata added.

"Same here," Naruto said.

"Hn." Sasuke sat on one of the couches, and Hinata sat next to him. Naruto and Sakura sat on an adjacent couch.

For a minute, none of them said anything.

"D-Does anyone w-want anything to drink? Like coffee or tea?" Hinata could sense that everyone was uncomfortable, and she knew that hot drinks could help with that.

"Ooh, can you make hot chocolate?" Naruto perked up.

"I can."

"And can I have a cup of coffee?" Sakura asked.

"Of course, Sakura-san. It's no problem. How about you, Sasuke-san?"

"Chamomile tea."

"Alright, wait here." Hinata went to the kitchen and prepared four drinks. She returned holding them on a tray, and placed the tray in the middle of the table.

"Thank you, Hinata!" said Sakura and Naruto.

"Thanks," said Sasuke.

Naruto sipped the hot chocolate, glad to find that it was perfect. Hinata had taken the time to make sure it wasn't too hot. And it was very sweet and creamy, just the way he liked it.

"Man, Hinata. You're _really_ gonna make a heckuva wife one day."

Hinata flushed red instantly, too caught off guard by the compliment to respond. Sakura shook her head, wondering for the thousandth time when Naruto and Hinata would get together already.

The friends all sipped their drinks in silence until Naruto spoke up again.

"So, how are you guys?" He asked, awkwardly trying to start a conversation. Sakura sighed.

"Tonight wasn't the best," said the pinkette. "I don't know why, but it was impossible to sleep. Which doesn't make sense, 'cause the bed Ochaco made for me was comfortable enough."

"I had the same problem," Hinata said. "The bed Toru-san made for me was the softest I ever lied down on, but for some reason I still couldn't sleep." She thought for a moment. "Then again, Toru-san did occasionally yell loudly at her computer..."

"Just be glad you got your own beds!" Naruto complained. "I had to share a bed with Deku! We were so close...!" Naruto shuddered. "It was awful."

"That's only because you're a chicken homophobe," Sasuke said coolly.

"Stupid Sasuke!" Naruto grimaced. "I'm not scared of gay guys, I'm scared of _being_ gay!"

"Is Izuku gay?" Sakura wondered out loud.

"I dunno, but I do know this--he's got some weird obsession with All Might! His room was filled with so much All Might stuff. I felt like the posters were staring at me." Naruto crossed his arms and huffed.

"I suppose we underestimated his fame and importance in this world," Hinata said.

"Doesn't mean Deku should have a shrine for him," Naruto replied hotly.

"We all miss Konoha, don't we?" Sasuke interjected. 

The others fell silent, which Sasuke took as his cue to keep talking.

"You have all these complaints about the dorms, but being in another world was the _real_ reason we couldn't sleep, wasn't it? At least... It was for me." Sasuke stared at his reflection in the tea, hesitating for a moment to express his feelings. "A leap between universes... Is there even a way to reverse such a powerful occurrence?"

"I-I was having similar thoughts, Sasuke-kun." Sakura's face now looked pained as she was forced to confront her concerns. "I won't be able to bear it if I never see my family again... Or Ino..." Her eyes became glossy with tears.

Naruto's agitation from earlier melted away. The sadness and worry he'd ignored all day was coming to the surface.

"I wouldn't be able to bear it either," the blonde said, eyes focused on his nearly empty mug. "And with everything that's been happening with the Akatsuki, I can't help but worry about everyone back home. How will they manage if something goes wrong, and we're not there to help?"

"I know," Sakura cried, hanging her head in defeat. The tears in her eyes were now rolling down her cheeks. "And doesn't it feel like something bad is about to happen in Konoha? Or am I just being paranoid?..."

"No, I... I know what you mean, Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded wordlessly.

With shaky hands, Hinata set her own cup of tea on the table with a loud _clink_. She was trying her absolute best not to cry, but it was hard.  
The others had all brought up valid points, and Hinata had been thinking those exact same things throughout the day.

The Hyuga took a deep breath before speaking. She had something important to say, and she didn't want to end up stuttering.

"Aizawa-sensei and the investigators will get us home," she began. "I'm sure of it. If we managed to get here, there has to be a way back, right? And they're professionals, so I'm sure they can find it eventually.  
"Also, you're three of the strongest people I know, so it hurts to see you all worry like this. Where's your usual determination? You should revive it, and use it to get through these tough times, and never give up on the fact that we _will_ go home."

"Hinata..." Sakura sniffled, wiping away her tears.

"Don't lose hope," Hinata reiterated.

"...I won't," said Naruto. "Hinata, you're right. There's no use in feeling bad to the point where we can't sleep. For now, we have to make the best of this situation by keeping our spirits high. I forgot that, so thank you for reminding me." He smiled affectionately.

Hinata smiled back, her eyes stinging from how emotional this all was.

"Exactly, Naruto-kun. Exactly."

"Huh. That's the smartest thing you've said all day, dumbass," Sasuke said to Naruto, attempting to lighten the mood with a joke.

"Bet that surprised you, eh, bastard?" Naruto shot back playfully.

Sakura giggled softly at their insults, and wiped the last of her tears away.

"I feel a bit better now. I'm so glad to have you all here with me, and that I'm not going through this alone." She then yawned, covering her hand with her mouth. "Oh, now I'm _really_ sleepy. We've been up since, like, seven in the morning."

"Me too." Naruto rubbed his eyes.

"Go to bed, dummies," said Sasuke.

"Right back at ya," Naruto responded.

"Goodnight, everyone." Sasuke stood up, and the others did the same.

"Goodnight," said Hinata as she picked up the four cups on the tray.

"'Night," said Sakura.

"See ya guys tomorrow!" Naruto turned off the common room light before leaving.

He was feeling so much better than before...  
_'Hinata's right, I won't ever lose all my hope!'_  
...until he opened the door to Midoriya's room and remembered that he had to sleep next to a dude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place before Jiraiya's death, the Pein invasion, and all that crazy stuff.
> 
> That's why our protagonists feel like something bad is about to happen.


	13. Perverts

“Uzumaki-kun?” came Midoriya’s soft voice. “Wake up, Uzumaki-kun.”

Naruto felt a hand lightly prodding at his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw Midoriya standing next to the bed, looking down at him.

“Huh...? What’s up, Deku?” Naruto asked in a quiet, rough, just-woke-up voice.

“I’m so sorry to wake you up,” Midoriya apologized quickly, looking guilty. “It’s just that breakfast is ready downstairs, and I didn’t want you to miss out.”

“‘S fine,” Naruto replied. He sat up and stretched his arms out, almost accidentally hitting Midoriya in the face with his fist. “I’ll be down in a bit.”

“Okay, I’ll see you.”

After Midoriya left the room, Naruto sat there for a few minutes, too lazy to move. Once he gathered enough energy, he finally got out of bed, put on his sandals, and walked into the hall.

He stopped to brush his teeth before going to breakfast, where several students were already eating and talking.  
There were pancakes glistening with butter and syrup, as well as various fresh cut fruits on the table.

“That looks good, ya know!” Naruto approached the table to see Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata. “‘Sup, early birds.”

“Good morning, Naruto-kun,” Hinata greeted. “Have some, it’s very good.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Naruto grabbed a plate and helped himself to two pancakes with some strawberries and blueberries. He took an empty seat next to Hinata, and dug in to the food.

“Whoa, this is great!” The whispered boy said with his mouth full. Sakura gave him a look of disgust. “Mmm! Who made this?”  
_’It couldn’t have been any of my friends,’_ he figured. _’None of them can cook!_  
(At this point he was still unaware of Hinata's cooking prowess).

"Ah, it was me," said Sato, who'd just entered the room with another plate of pancakes. "I thought I could do my part to welcome you four to our school, so I made a special breakfast."

"Wow, thanks Rikido!" Said Naruto. "You have a real talent, ya know."

"My pleasure." Sato smiled and set the extra pancakes down on the table. "I'm glad you like it."

"Sooo, you're all still wearing the same clothes as yesterday," said Ashido. She was sitting on the other side of the table, along with Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Hagakure, and Midoriya.

 _'Did you have to point it out?'_ Uraraka internally groaned, unhappy with her friend's blunt statement.

"Don't get me wrong," the pink alien girl said before anyone could be offended. "They look cool and unique, but you should really have a change of clothes."

Sasuke grimaced, looking down at his outfit. A bluish-white zip-up shirt, black pants, and some dark blue cloth tied around his waist by a simple black belt. (He'd ditched Orochimaru's purple rope a long time ago).

Sasuke was used to being clean and fresh, but being transported to another universe meant he had no extra clothes. He wore this outfit today, yesterday, and the day before.

"I'm taking you shopping!" Ashido declared, pointing up at the air in excitement. "And I won't take no for an answer. You guys need some casual outfits!"

"Ooh, I'll come with you!" Hagakure chimed in. She had a feeling that Hinata actually liked cute things, so why not help the timid girl pick some cute clothes?

"Me too," Midoriya said. "I need to buy something for you to sleep on, Uzumaki-kun." Naruto nodded vigorously at that.

"And I will join as well," Yaoyorozu added. "I can pay for your purchases."

"Oh, you don't have to do thaaat," Ashido said with a single wave of her hand. Of course, she didn't really mean that. The fake tone of her voice said _"YES, please pay for everything."_

Yaoyorozu giggled.

 

"It's really no problem. I can afford it, and I'd love to help out in any way I can."

"That's so kind of you, Momo!" Hinata beamed. "Thank you."

"Yeah! We really, really appreciate it," said Sakura. "We should study first, though. We can go shopping when we're done."

"Oh, so should we leave this afternoon?" Ashido asked.

"That's right," Sakura affirmed.

“Wait—Sakura-chan!” Naruto pouted. “Why do we have to study? It’s a Saturday!”

“Stupid Naruto, we have to look over those packets Mic-sensei and Cementoss-sensei gave us,” Sakura retorted. “Do you _want_ to be clueless in class on Monday?”

“If it means I can relax today…” Naruto was cut off by Sakura.

“Shut up.” She then turned to Yaoyorozu. “Can I ask you for a favor, Momo?”

“Go ahead,” said Yaoyorozu.

“Would you mind helping us study?”

“Of course not! I really enjoy tutoring my peers.” Yaoyozoru smiled amicably.

“Great! Once again, thank you so much, Momo!” Sakura reached over the table and took Yaoyorozu’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “You’re just too good for this world!”

Yaoyorozu blushed.

“Don’t mention it,” she replied, feeling very flattered.

When everyone finished their breakfast, Sato and Midoriya cleaned the table, while Ashido took Uraraka away to hang out outside. Yaoyorozu enthusiastically stood up and clapped her hands together.

“Are you all ready to study?” she asked the ninjas.

“Yep!” Sakura stood and pushed her chair back under the table. Hinata and Sasuke followed suit, but Naruto crossed his arms and pouted, refusing to get up.

“Aren’t you going to join us, Uzumaki?” Yaoyorozu asked. Naruto looked up to see a begging pout on her face.

 _’She’s making me feel bad,’_ Naruto thought. _’No…! I have to resist her. I don’t wanna study!_

“I really want to help _all_ of you…” Yaoyorozu fidgeted with her hands a bit.

That was the final nail in the coffin for Naruto.

Feeling too guilty to refuse any longer, he stood up and hastily pushed his chair in.

“Fine, I’ll study!”

Yaoyorozu’s face brightened immediately.

“Wonderful! Let’s go; I know a perfect quiet spot we can use.”

Yaoyorozu led the four of them down the hallway, a slight bounce in her step. Naruto lagged a few feet behind them.

 _’This is gonna suck.’_ Naruto sighed quietly as he dragged his feet.

Suddenly, Naruto’s arms were grabbed from behind by two sets of hands. The mysterious pair seized the blonde and dragged him around a corner.

“What the—“ Naruto began, but he was swiftly interrupted.

“Hold on! We just want to talk to you,” Mineta said quietly.

“What do you guys want?” Naruto asked warily.

“Yesterday, Haruno mentioned how you blew up her skirt with a rasengan one time,” Mineta recalled. “You’re a connoisseur of the female body as well, aren’t you, Uzumaki?”

“Uh…” Naruto didn’t really know what to say to that. Was trying to get a peek of Sakura's spandex shorts really something he should be proud of?

“Therefore, we think it would be fitting for you to join our duo, and make it a trio!” Mineta grinned.

Naruto hesitated. Something about Mineta’s personality was kind of wrong. He knew it from the moment the grape boy asked Hinata out in such an insensitive way.  
Then again… he did want to escape from studying, so it couldn’t hurt to hang out with these two a little bit, right? And besides, new friends were always nice.

“Alright, I accept,” Naruto said.

“Yes! Great choice,” Mineta replied.

“…you know, I do have something cool to show you.” Naruto smiled deviously. “It’s super sexy.”

“Really?!” Mineta leaned in expectantly. “What is it? Let me see!”

“Well—I can’t do it here! We’ll get in trouble.”

“Come on then—“ Mineta urged ardently, pushing Naruto and Kaminari to a nearby staircase. The grape boy was obviously thirsty as hell, and wanted to see whatever Naruto had right away. “We’ll go to the roof!”

~

No one in the study group noticed Naruto's absence until they arrived at their destination: a quiet study hall hidden from plain view, which many first-year students weren't even aware of.

"Where's Uzumaki?" Momo asked.

"Ugh, he's managed to escape," Sakura replied bitterly. "Don't worry, I'll get him back. You guys can find a table and set up while I'm gone."

~

The three boys soon reached the rooftop and found that it was empty. Perfect.

“So, what is it?!” Mineta turned to Naruto, drooling grossly. 

Naruto backed away and put his hands together to form a hand sign.

“Brace yourselves! This right here is my best technique!” Naruto boasted before transforming into his favorite sexy jutsu form: an older female with a curvy body and long pigtails. Her private parts were barely concealed by the clouds that naturally appeared during transformation techniques. “Sexy jutsu!”

"THAT'S HOT!" Mineta exclaimed lecherously, his nostrils flaring and his eyes bulging.  
While Mineta seemed to be right on the verge of a nosebleed, Kaminari only raised his eyebrows in surprise, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"Yeah, that's very nice." Kaminari clasped his hands together and looked at female Naruto with somewhat of a pleading expression. "Can you do one of Uchiha-kun now?"

"Wha—" Naruto was about to ask why the hell Kaminari wanted to see a naked Sasuke, but he was cut off by a flying fist. Sakura, seeming to have come from nowhere, punched Naruto's face hard enough to send him flying. He landed a few feet away and reverted back into his normal male self.

"You pervy doofus!" Sakura shouted. Her rough, scolding voice drowned out Naruto's pained little noises. "Why are you up here putting on a creepy show for these guys, when you should be studying with us?!"

“Can’t I have some fun?” Naruto asked with a hand on his throbbing head. Sakura marched over to her teammate and grabbed him by the ear, forcing him to stand up if he didn’t want it ripped off. The pinkette pulled him away from Kaminari and Mineta.

The two students stood in shock, listening to Naruto’s protests as he was dragged to the roof’s exit.

“Yikes. Talk about whipped.” Mineta whistled.

“For real.” Kaminari shook his head, sympathetic for Naruto.

“So… what was it you asked Naruto to do earlier?” Mineta asked in an accusatory tone, giving Kaminari the side eye.

“Nothing!” Kaminari turned around to hide his embarrassed face.

~

Sakura let go of Naruto’s ear, and walked through the hallway at a fast pace. It was actually kind of hard for Naruto to keep up.

“Wai-wait, Sakura-chan!” Naruto jogged to his pink-haired teammate. “You’re going really fast.”

Sakura slowed down a bit, and then a lot. Eventually, she just stopped walking altogether.

“Naruto.” Her voice was low and serious.

 _’Oh no…’_ Naruto stopped in his tracks as well, looking at Sakura’s slightly downturned head. She never had a gloomy and subdued disposition; she was always cheering with joy, yelling with anger, or sobbing with sadness. So to see her act like this… Naruto knew something was actually really wrong.

“Don’t—Please don’t associate with Minoru. He’s a creep. Like, a real creep. I can just sense it, you know? The way he asked screamed in joy when he saw me and Hinata for the first time… the way he asked Hinata out… and how he genuinely thinks that Kakashi-sensei’s porno books are totally normal. And then there’s that look on his face, when he drools and looks completely crazed. Isn’t that weird to you?”

“Y-Yeah… it kind of is…”

“Please, Naruto. I know you’re better than him. Sure, you act like a hormonal teenage boy, which is annoying, but you’re not insane like him.”

Suddenly, Naruto felt like a bit of a fool for thinking that Mineta would make a good friend. At that moment, the Uzumaki decided that he didn’t want to end up stooping to the grape boy’s level and make girls uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Sakura-chan. I won’t engage in Minoru’s creepy games, I promise. I guess I’ll just have to distance myself from him.”

“Thank you, Naruto-kun. You’re doing the right thing.” Sakura shifted her gaze away from the floor and gave Naruto a relieved look.

Then Naruto remembered something.

“Wait, what about Denki?” he asked. Sakura seemed to think about it for a moment.

“He doesn’t give me the same bad vibe,” Sakura said with a shrug. “Actually, he’s kind of like you. A little pervy, but not molester-level.”

“So he’s cool?”

“Sure.”

“Cool.” Naruto smiled slightly.

“Well, come on.” Sakura took Naruto’s arm and led him to the small study hall where Yaoyorozu, Sasuke, and Hinata were waiting.

“What took you so long, dumbass?” Sasuke asked.

“Sorry,” Sakura apologized on Naruto’s behalf. “Naruto found a part-time gig as a stripper.”

“SAKURA—“

“Shh!” Yaoyorozu blurted out. “We can’t be too loud in here!”

“Uh, s-sorry, Momo.” Naruto chuckled awkwardly and sat at the table right by Hinata, who seemed truly disturbed by what Sakura had said. Sakura went back to her seat next to Sasuke.

Naruto glanced to the navy-haired girl at his side and whispered.

“Sakura-chan was lying, by the way,” he said to Hinata.

“G-Good…” Hinata's voice cracked.

Sakura looked at Sasuke.

“I actually wasn’t lying,” she whispered to him, amusement clear in her voice.

“Hn.” Sasuke looked away from her. After all, he couldn’t have anyone notice that his sharingan was activated.

When he was younger, Itachi taught him that the sharingan could be used to copy other people’s movements. And throughout his life, Sasuke learned that this technique was useful in many different ways that didn’t even have to do with fighting. One could use the sharingan to learn simple things, like playing an instrument, cooking a meal, doing a dance routine…

Or even speaking English.  
Or so Sasuke hoped. It would be great if his bloodline technique could save him from endless hours of studying this weird language every night for several weeks.

“We’ll look over Present Mic’s English packet first,” said Yaoyorozu. “After all, it’s best to start with the basics. Go to page one, and you’ll see some vocabulary.”

She began to read and explain the vocabulary. Sasuke started intently at her with his red eyes, putting all of her mouth movements in a mental bank to refer to later. Thankfully, she didn’t notice, being too fixated on the task at hand.

Yaoyorozu was pleased to see everyone paying attention, especially Sasuke. A few times, she did have to gently remind Naruto not to space out, and she ended up repeating herself quite a bit. Still, it seemed that the immature Uzumaki learned some things.

All in all, Sasuke made the biggest leap in progress, gaining a great deal of knowledge from watching Yaoyorozu so closely.

“So, how do you all feel about this stuff now?” Yaoyorozu asked. “I know we went over a lot, so it’s okay if I need to explain some things again.”

Before anyone could reply, the door to the study hall swung open. There stood Ashido, Hagakure, Midoriya, and Uraraka.

“You guys done yet?” Ashido yelled across the room, causing Midoriya and Uraraka to cringe. “’Cause it’s time for SHOPPING!”

“Ashido, please!” Yaoyorozu exclaimed. “Don’t be too loud!”

“Sorry,” she whisper-yelled with a mischievous grin. “Can we go shopping now?”

“I suppose so,” Yaoyorozu said with a sigh, closing the English guidebook she had open. “We can continue this later if need be.”

 _’Finally, it’s over.’_ Naruto didn’t even care much for shopping, but it definitely beat listening to someone talk about a difficult subject for hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk why I haven't mentioned the Kyuubi yet. He's an important part of Naruto's life, after all.
> 
> Then again, there's already so much going on in this fic, and I don't wanna cram too many plotlines in. So I guess _we don't have time to unpack all of that_


	14. Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you saw the messed up version of this. A formatting error caused a huge chunk of text to get deleted. I've fixed it now, though. Here's the not messed up version, lol

Yaoyorozu's English and American Literature crash course came to an abrupt end with Ashido's interruption. Now, everyone was walking together to the nearby shopping center. It was ten minutes away, and was often visited by U.A. students for snacks, decorations, entertainment, and other nonessential things.

~  
~  
~

“I didn’t know you were coming with us, Ochaco,” said Sakura.

“Deku-kun needs my help carrying that new bed for Uzumaki,” the brunette explained. “I can make it weightless, after all.”

“I know I said this before, but your quirk is so cool,” Sakura complimented.

“Isn’t it? To completely remove gravity from an object—that’s just amazing!” Midoriya agreed. “It’s such an unreal ability, I can’t even figure out exactly how it works. And you should have seen the way she canceled my momentum when I was falling in the entrance exam!”

“Every quirk is amazing to you, Deku-kun,” Uraraka teased, bumping his shoulder.

'They're both blushing,' Sakura noticed.

~

“You really saved me back there, Mina,” Naruto chirped. “My brain was starting to hurt from all that learning.”

“I know what you mean,” Ashido replied. “Studying for hours on end is so painful! I can’t help but avoid it, even when I’m falling behind.”

“Right! I don’t know how the smart kids do it.”

“Even average kids can do it,” Sasuke said offhandedly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ashido squinted at him.

“You calling me stupid, Sasuke?” Naruto scowled.

Sasuke smirked, smugly refraining from giving a response.

“What a bastard, am I right?” Naruto mumbled to Ashido, who laughed agreeably.

~

“Hinata, when we get there, I’ll help you look for some clothes, okay?” Hagakure offered.

“Oh, that’s alright, Toru-san. I’ve always shopped alone."

“And that’s the problem!” Hagakure’s sleeves flailed about. “You need another set of eyes to find what’s right for you!”

“Try not to pressure her, Hagakure,” Yaoyorozu reminded.

“I won’t! Just helping out a friend!”

~  
~  
~

When they arrived at the mall, Yaoyorozu fished out her wallet from her purse.

"Ashido, here." Yaoyorozu handed her a thick wad of cash. "Split this up among yourselves. It should be enough to buy a small new wardrobe for each of you."

"You're so generous, Yaomomo!" Ashido exclaimed.  
_'I don't think I've ever seen this much money in my life!'_ she marvelled mentally.

"I have to go to a different store," Yaoyorozu explained. "Shall we meet up here in an hour?"

"One hour?!" Ashido shook her head. "That's not enough. We need three!"

"Three?" Yaoyorozu blinked in surprise. "Three hours for clothes shopping?"

Ashido leaned in to whisper in her friend's ear.

"Something tells me Uzumaki and Uchiha need some serious help," she whispered frantically. "Just look at that lump of cloth around Uchiha's waist. Plus, Uzumaki looks like a janitor with that heavy jumpsuit!"

"Alright, alright." Yaoyorozu suppressed a giggle. "I'll leave you to it, then. Meet me here in three hours."

"Okay! Come on, everyone!" Ashido started leading the way to the clothing shop, while Yaoyorozu headed for the Apple store in the opposite direction.

On the way to the clothing shop, they passed by a store of furniture and home appliances.

"Oh, here it is," Midoriya said to Uraraka, pointing to the store.

"Great! Go get my new bed," Naruto urged, literally pushing Midoriya to the store. Uraraka followed close behind.

"Whoa, Uzumaki-kun!"

"Go, go, Deku!" Naruto shoved Midoriya through the store's entrance, causing him to stumble right onto a display sofa.

"Well, that's one way to get things done," Uraraka mumbled, walking briskly into the store to ask the confused greenette if he was okay.

Naruto then rejoined Ashido and the others, who were all looking at him funny.

“Hey, you’d do the same if you had to sleep next to someone you just met,” Naruto huffed. Nobody argued with that.

When they got to the clothing shop, Ashido handed each ninja a fourth of the money Yaoyorozu had given her.

"Use this to buy your new clothes, and we'll meet back here by the exit," she told them.

~  
~  
~

This had to be the most difficult shopping trip Ashido had ever been on.

Hagakure was browsing clothing with Hinata, while Sakura and Naruto both went alone. That left Ashido with Sasuke, the most fashion-challenged person she'd ever met. And that was saying a lot, since she knew Kaminari.

"Uchiha, put that onesie back! It's not onesie season!"

"Uchiha, stay away from the tacky belts! No, you can't wear that pirate rope as a belt."

"No no no, Uchiha! Why would you even think of wearing that vest by itself? Your entire chest is exposed!"

"UCHIHA!"

Ashido's shrill shriek resonated through the entire men's section. The people there all turned their heads to her. Usually, the alien girl would be a little embarrassed from the attention, but she was currently too focused on Sasuke and the monstrosity he was holding.

"Put. Down. That. Poncho."

Sasuke threw the brown-colored thing back on the display table without bothering to fold it. He then casually walked over to the seething girl, unaffected by her outrage.

"What were you thinking?!" She hissed.

"I thought it looked mature," he replied impassively.

~

"I see you like light purple, so how about this?" Hagakure held up a lavender dress with a lacy, frilly, flare. On the chest was a pastel pink bow.

"N-No!" Hinata fearfully pushed the adorable article of clothing away. “I could never wear that.”

"It's not gonna bite you."

"Th-that's not it..."

"Hyuga, don't you like this kind of stuff?"

"I do, b-but it's not for me." Hinata averted her gaze.

"Why not?" When she got no answer, Hagakure continued. "Tell me, Hyuga. Would you wear this alone? If no one was there to see, would you wear this? Be honest."

"...Y-yes," Hinata answered after a long moment of hesitation.

"It doesn't matter what other people think. If it makes you happy, just do it."

 _'But that kind of clothing is for confident girls...'_ Hinata mused dejectedly.

"You can be confident too."

"Ah—" Hinata flinched. "D-did I say that out loud?"

"You know, Hyuga, wearing clothes you actually like will make you feel beautiful, and boost your confidence."

"I know, but..." Her voice trailed off.

"Go ahead and buy this." Hagakure held out the dress again. "You deserve it."

Hinata wasn't one to argue persistently, so she did what she was told and took the dress. Besides, she couldn't help but feel that Hagakure had a good point. Maybe an update of her wardrobe could be the first step in being more confident.

The dress’s main fabric was actually pretty soft and stretchy; Hagakure made a really good pick.

"Okay," Hinata decided. “I’ll get this.”

"Great! Follow me, there are even more clothes like that over here!" Hagakure cheered, grabbing Hinata's arm.

"W-Wait, Toru-san!"

"Huh?"

"I’ll give the girly clothes a chance, but can we also get some things that are a little more... ordinary?"

"Oh, sure! I don't expect you to dress up all the time!"

"Thanks, Toru-san."

~  
~  
~

Naruto was never a fan of shopping in Konoha. It always went like this: he goes to the store with his small, sad pouch of money. The shopkeepers give him dirty looks because of their grudge against the kyuubi. While browsing the shelves, he's constantly thinking of the price, and has to put so many awesome things back because of how poor he is. He ends up getting the cheapest items, but sometimes, he can't even buy anything because the shopkeepers throw him out of the store.  
This, however, was different. No one knew of his jinchuuriki status, so the employees didn’t ignore or harass him. And even better—thanks to Yaoyorozu's donation, he was able to get just about whatever he wanted!

Sakura had lots of fun on this shopping spree too. Being a ninja, she always ended up wearing her signature outfit all the time; its many copies took up most of the space in her closet! So she couldn't wait to flaunt some brand new outfits for a change.

Hinata was also satisfied. It still made her a little nervous to think of wearing such feminine things in front of other people, but Hagakure's encouragement drowned out her worries. And the two roommates were now closer friends than before after bonding over elegant and cute fashion.

Ashido, on the other hand, wasn't quite as lucky. This was the second most stressful day at the mall she'd ever experienced (the first being the time when Kaminari and Kirishima were play-fighting and accidentally knocked over a display table of pickle jars).  
Over and over, she policed Sasuke's decisions until she was blue in the face (which wasn't good at all, because her face was supposed to be pink). She felt like a mother constantly chasing her toddler-aged child and trying to make them behave.

Ashido’s shopping group met up at the store's entrance, and returned to where Yaoyorozu said to meet up. There were some empty wooden benches, so they all took the chance to rest for a bit.

"Okay, everyone!" Ashido tried to hide the exhaustion from her voice. "Show me what you got."

"Ooh, me first!" From his bag Naruto yanked out a neon orange hoodie that read "cup ramen" on it in saturated blue letters, and had a cartoon picture of the food underneath. "It's the crown jewel in my new clothing collection!"

Ashido nearly gagged at how tacky it was.

"I should have supervised you too, Uzumaki!" She cried in dismay. "But I was too busy stopping a certain someone—" she glared at Sasuke. "—from choosing the worst things possible."

"Mina, I think you'll like what I got much better," Sakura cut in. From her bag, she pulled out a slim red dress with understated pink and white accents.

"Perfect!" Ashido pointed at the dress. "See, boys? _That's_ good fashion."  
_'The colors work so well together, and the design is so charmingly simple!'_

 _'She wanted me to buy a red dress?'_ Naruto and Sasuke both wondered in confusion.

"Don't forget Hyuga!" said Hagakure. She gently elbow-nudged her navy-haired friend. "Show 'em the pretty dress, Hyuga!"

"Th-This is what I got..." Hinata took out the lavender dress with a pink bow, silently praying that no one would laugh at her.

"Cuuute!" Ashido exclaimed joyfully. "Oh, it'll look so nice on you, Hyuga! It even matches your eyes!"

"I know, right?" Hagakure squealed.

"Wow, Hinata." Sakura seemed pleasantly surprised. "I never thought you'd buy something like that."

"I've always liked how dresses look, so I'll be giving them a try."

"That's great, Hinata!" Naruto praised, glad to see his friend express herself. "I can't wait to see you wear it!"

Hinata avoided eye contact with Naruto as her cheeks went red at his statement.

"Well, I guess I'll show you guys one of the few decent things Sasuke bought. Courtesy of me, of course." Ashido took out a dark button-down shirt. Its red and black stripes were thin enough to make the whole thing look dark red from a distance.

"That looks good!" Sakura remarked. "Red and black, just like the sharingan! It really suits you, Sasuke-kun."

"But it's so... Normal." Sasuke gave the shirt a look of disdain.

"As it should be," said Ashido. "In fashion, there's a fine line between 'bold' and 'insane' that you should try not to cross."

"Hi, friends!" Everyone turned to the melodic voice's owner—Yaoyorozu, who had a cheerful smile and a jubilant sparkle in her eyes as she walked over to them. On her arm was a sleek, shiny, white shopping bag that probably contained something expensive.

“Hey, Yaomomo!” Ashido greeted. “You seem to be in a good mood.”

“That’s because I have a surprise for these four.” Before anyone could question what she meant, the rich girl reached into the bag and pulled out four cell phones (and was somehow able to hold all of them steadily in one hand). They already had cases, which were color-coded for each ninja: orange for Naruto, black for Sasuke, red for Sakura, and purple for Hinata.

The four ninjas stared in awe, completely at a loss for words. That is, until Naruto jumped up from the bench and threw his arms around Yaoyorozu’s shoulders, pulling her into a suffocating hug. The girl tightened her grip on the phones, trying her best not to drop them as Naruto shook her back and forth.

“THANK YOU!” Naruto shouted ecstatically. “Thank you, Momo! You’re the best!”

“Naruto, control yourself!” Sakura exclaimed. “You’re starting to act like Lee and Gai-sensei!”

“Oh, sorry!” Naruto let go of Yaoyorozu, grinning widely and bouncing on his feet. “I just—I mean—I can’t believe it! This is so awesome!”

“I agree with the spaz.” Sakura was unable to conceal her mirth. “I don’t even know what to say… just, thank you, Momo!”

“All day, you’ve shown us such great kindness,” Hinata added, standing up. “Helping us study, paying for our clothes, and getting us phones…” The Hyuga bowed. “We really can’t thank you enough, Momo-san!”

“Thank you, Yaoyorozu Momo,” Sasuke stood up and bowed as well.

“Ah, it was nothing!” Yaoyorozu said, now blushing from the ninjas’ show of immense gratitude. “Really, it wasn’t any trouble at all. Here, take them!” She held out the phones, which each ninja eagerly took.

“I still feel like I need to make it up to you,” Hinata said, holding the device to her chest like a cherished item.

“Don’t worry about it,” Yaoyorozu insisted. “Seeing you all light up just now was payment enough! And I’m happy to help make your stay here a bit easier. Now you can all communicate from a distance, and receive school Emails!”

“Ahaha! I’ll treasure this forever!” Naruto dramatically held his new orange phone in the air with both hands.

“You guys even got the newest model,” Ashido exclaimed.

“Hey, guys!” Midoriya said hurriedly. He and Uraraka were running towards the group, as if they were in a rush.

Midoriya was holding a mattress with just one hand. He was gripping the floating thing by its corner, like a balloon. “Uraraka-san cancelled its gravity,” he explained to the ninjas who seemed perplexed by the sight. “If I let it go, it would fly away.”

“Come on, we gotta go!” Uraraka said urgently. “The longer this floats, the closer I am to getting sick.”

“Right, we should head back to U.A. now.” Yaoyorozu said. “For the sake of Uraraka’s health.

With that, the shopping group left the mall and walked at a quick pace back to the school.

Naruto had a happy skip in his step. He’d just gotten brand new clothes, his own cell phone, and a bed to sleep in (away from Deku).

Today was a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a good explanation for Midoriya blushing around Uraraka.
> 
> He doesn't have a crush on her in this... The bakudeku shall prevail, I promise!


	15. Friends From Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while but I'm back! No idea when the next chapter after this will be... (^^;)>

Naruto was lying in his new bed next to Midoriya’s, grinning like an idiot to himself.  
Yesterday, he couldn’t sleep because he was too upset. Now, he couldn’t sleep because he was too happy.

Unable to ignore his giddiness any longer, Naruto pulled out his orange phone from underneath his pillow. He and his friends had already set it up when they returned to U.A. Now, all he wanted to do was use his precious device.

**Naruto: Hi guys!**

**Sakura: Go to sleep, damn it! Do you even know what time it is?**

Naruto’s eyes glanced to the corner of his screen to see that it was almost midnight.

**Naruto: I know! I just don’t care right now, haha!**

**Sakura: What’d you just say?! Don’t make me come over to beat the hell out of you!**

**Naruto: Wait! I didn’t mean to sound rude!**

**Sasuke: It seems that the protection of digital conversation has emboldened you, dumbass.**

**Naruto: Shut up, bastard.**

**Hinata: Naruto-kun, it’s very late. Don’t you want to get some sleep?**

**Naruto: Who needs sleep when you’ve got cell phones?**

**Sasuke: Whatever, I’m going to sleep.**

**Sakura: Me too! Don’t bother texting anymore, Naruto. Good night.**

**Naruto: Awww come on! No fair!**

**Naruto: You’re really not gonna reply?**

**Hinata: Naruto-kun, if you really want to text, then I can stay up a little while longer.**

**Naruto: Sweet! You’re the coolest one here right now, Hinata!**

And with that, the two texted for half an hour. The conversation was a bit one-sided, with Naruto rambling in detail about how he felt about this alternate universe. By the end of it, Naruto was happy that he got to use his phone and babble on without being interrupted; it felt great! Sakura and Sasuke never accommodated him like this.

**Naruto: This has been fun! We should text more often.**

**Hinata: I agree. I’ve enjoyed this.**

**Naruto: Next time, you should tell me what you think too!**

**Naruto: Well, goodnight, Hinata!**

**Hinata: Goodnight, Naruto-kun.**

Meanwhile, as Hinata lay in her bed, she could feel her heart pounding abnormally hard. Her hadns trembled slightly as she slipped the phone under her pillow. She could hardly believe what had just happened.

She’d actually held a long conversation with Naruto. And he actually enjoyed it. And he was actually interested in hearing her insignificant thoughts. And he actually thought she was cool…!

It was almost too good for the Hyuga to handle. She buried her face in her pillow and squeaked softly at the thought of her and Naruto getting closer.

~  
~  
~

The next day had a slow, lazy feel to it. There seemed to be a dip in chaos on the U.A. campus, which made sense. The previous days had been full of excitement, after all.

It was after breakfast, and Sakura was taking a walk outside the Heights Alliance when she saw a flowering bush that caught her eye.

After getting a closer look, she could see that the tiny flowers grew in bunches that looked like delicate little pompoms. Their pastel blue-and-purple blended together in perfectly appealing harmony. Sakura was no flower expert like Ino (who could easily recite their name, region of origin, and optimal growth conditions.) The only thing Sakura knew was that they looked pretty.

"Ino would like these," she murmured to herself.

"Doesn't she like all flowers, though?"

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura spun around to see Sasuke standing there.

"Am I wrong?"

"No, you're right; she does like all flowers. But she does have her personal favorites." Sakura tilted her head. "Anyway, what are you doing here, Sasuke-kun?"

"I..." Sasuke seemed reluctant to tell the truth, but he revealed it anyway. "Have nothing better to do."

"Oh, well we should just relax, Sasuke-kun. Yesterday and Friday have been very busy, after all. Right?"

"You're right.”

Their conversation came to a pause when they heard the sound of Naruto's voice behind them. They looked to see that he was going for a walk with Hinata, whose cheeks were tinted pink and pale eyes downturned in clear nervousness.

"Man, last night was so fun!" Naruto said.

"Yes but..." Hinata giggled weakly. "I was starting to think you'd never get tired."

"Sorry, Hinata! I made you stay up way too late, didn't I?"

"N-No! Not at all. I had fun too."

"Hinata!" Sakura gasped dramatically, startling the other kunoichi. Sakura dashed over to the two newcomers in a panic, while Sasuke joined them calmly.

"Hinata, don't tell me you and Naruto..." There was an alarmed look on Sakura's face, as if she’d seen a monster. "You didn't... You didn't _do it_ , did you?!"

"Do... It?" It didn’t take long for Hinata’s confusion to be replaced with mortification as she realized what Sakura meant. The pink of her cheeks became a burning red.

Hinata's love for Naruto could be described as pure fluff. Every day, she fantasized about holding his hand, hugging him, maybe—just maybe—a little kiss here and there… But usually nothing more than that. So the mere thought of doing "it" with him was unthinkable. It made the poor girl pass out on the spot.

Thankfully, Sasuke caught the Hyuga before she could hit the ground. Seeing that abnormal reaction, Sakura was even more suspicious now.

The pinkette grabbed Naruto by the collar of his shirt and leaned into his face, giving him a hard glare.

"What. Did. You. Do." She said slowly, the low volume of her words concealing a dangerous fury.

"W-We only texted! That's it!" Naruto fumbled with his pocket and pulled out his phone. He hurriedly opened up the messaging app and showed it to Sakura. "See? See? I'm telling the truth!"

Sakura let go of his shirt and snatched his phone. She scrolled through the entire conversation. Nothing suspicious there…

“You’re off the hook,” she growled, shoving the phone back at him.

“Jeez, you’re acting like some overprotective dad or older brother…” Naruto grumbled. He protectively held his phone against his chest and turned away from Sakura.

“Someone’s gotta look out for Hinata,” Sakura shot back. “I know how lewd you can get.”

“I would never—!“

“Hey, you two.” Sasuke interrupted the back-and-forth before it could get out of hand. He picked Hinata up with both arms. “You’re acting awfully lively for a Sunday afternoon.”

“Sorry, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura apologized with a sheepish laugh. “Did you wanna start our relaxing hangout now?”

“Hn,” Sasuke replied coolly, meaning ‘yes.’

“Can I join you guys?” Naruto asked, acting as if he and Sakura hadn’t just been fighting a few moments ago. “I don’t have anything to do today. Not that I wanna do anything. In fact, I kinda wanna do nothing.”

“Only if you’ll stop being annoying,” Sasuke answered.

“I’m not annoying…” Naruto pouted and crossed his arms.

“Right... Well, follow me. I found a good spot.”

Without another word, Sasuke turned and led the way, still carrying Hinata’s limp body as if it weighed nothing. Sakura and Naruto both decided to remain silent for the time being.

It was a grassy outdoor area, cooled by the shade of large leafy trees. Four cushioned benches were placed facing toward each other, situated in a manner that allowed for conversation among many people. Small white flowers were sprinkled across the surrounding greenery.

Sasuke set Hinata down on one bench and sat next to her. Sakura and Naruto took the opposite bench.

Sasuke closed his eyes. Not to sleep, but to relax and clear his head. Sakura looked up at the cloudy blue sky, replaying pleasant memories in her head, new and old. Naruto took out his phone and started exploring the new object of his interest—some mysterious thing called the internet.

Hinata soon woke up, and looked around, slightly confused. When her gaze landed on Sakura, the pink-haired girl smiled.

“Feel free to chill with us,” Sakura told her. Hinata smiled back and nodded before closing her eyes once more. In a quiet setting like this with her best friends, the shy Hyuga felt completely at ease.

They all embraced the silence, content with simply enjoying each other’s wordless company. After experiencing such excitement the past two days, a lazy break like this was certainly welcome.

After a while, two sets of arriving footsteps broke the silence.

“H-Hi,” Midoriya spoke nervously. The ninjas’ eyes all turned to him, increasing his uncertainty. “I-I’m so sorry. Am I interrupting something? Should I leave? I can—“

“Wait, Midoriya,” Ashido said firmly. “Don’t run away now. We’ve already come all this way.”

“What is it?” Sasuke’s voice sounded completely neutral, masking his slight annoyance.

“We were looking for you guys,” Ashido explained. “We wanted to hang out.”

“B-But I can leave if you need me to,” Midoriya uttered, already backing away.

“Hold on, Izuku,” Sakura cut in. “You can totally hang out with us. I don’t mind.”

“Me neither,” Hinata agreed. “Would you two like to sit here?”

“Yep!” Without hesitation, Ashido happily sat on one of the two empty benches. Midoriya then sat in the other.

“Was there anything in particular you wanted to ask us?” Sasuke inquired, getting straight to the point as usual.

“We were hoping you could tell us about some of your classmates from home!” Ashido chirped.

“Our classmates?” Naruto echoed.

“We mean your friends,” Midoriya said, remembering that these ninjas didn’t even attend school anymore.

“Oh, what do you want to know?” Naruto asked.

“Their abilities!” Midoriya answered eagerly before Ashido could say anything. Naruto swore he saw a twinkle appear in Midoriya’s eyes.

“Alright, let’s see. Uh…” Naruto thought for a moment. “Sai!”

Sasuke sighed heavily, a dramatic show of displeasure.

“Sai…?” Midoriya wasn’t sure what Naruto meant.

“Sai, the other member of Team 7.” Naruto clarified. “Oops, I never told ya about him, huh?”

“While Sasuke-kun was away, we got Sai as a replacement,” Sakura elaborated, while Sasuke rolled his eyes. “He’s an artist, and can bring anything he paints into real life—usually ferocious animals or clones of himself. It’s useful for battle, spying, restraining, transportation…”

“Sooo, pretty much everything,” Naruto joked.

“Wow, that’s amazing! His quirk—I mean, his ability has so many uses!” Midoriya was intrigued now.

“What’s he like?” Ashido asked. “Personality-wise, I mean.”

“Heh… he used to be a real jerk,” Naruto answered. “Always making fun of us, calling us these awful nicknames, giving us the fakest smiles… but that was only because he used to lack emotions.”

“He’s gotten a lot better over time,” Sakura assured. “After spending time with us, he’s realized the importance of relationships, and being genuine to your friends.”

“That’s right. His smiles nowadays seem a lot more real.”

“Is he still on your team?” Ashido asked.

“Yep, and he always will be. That makes us the only four-person team in Konoha,” Naruto boasted.

“Hey, if we’re talking about our friends from back home, I have to tell you about Ino,” Sakura said with a hint of eagerness.

“I get the feeling you two are friends,” Ashido commented.

“More than that… we’re best friends. When we were kids, she helped me build confidence in myself.” Sakura twirled a lock of her pink hair around her finger, seeming to be lost in her memories. “Other kids always bullied me for having no prestigious lineage or special abilities. I felt pathetic. But then, Ino showed me so much kindness. She lent me her confidence until I was able to face other people’s judgement on my own. I’ll… I’ll never forget that.”

“She sounds wonderful, Haruno-san.” Midoriya was touched by the story that sounded so similar to his own. He’d also been shunned in childhood for being ‘lesser’ than everyone else; the only difference was that he hadn’t had a best friend like Ino to build him up. The greenette looked down at the grass. “I wish I could’ve met her…”

“I’m sure she would like to meet you too, Izuku,” Sakura told him with a comforting tone.

“Hey, Haruno-san.” Midoriya looked back up at Sakura. “What kind of abilities does Ino-san have?”

“Ah, she can switch bodies with an opponent through her mind-swapping technique.”

“What an impressive technique! It even sounds a little unreal.”

“Well, she’s always been great with ninjutsu.”

“Sure, Ino’s pretty good, I guess,” Naruto chimed in. “But the real impressive one is Shikamaru.”

“Hm…” Sakura seemed to consider this. “Well, I guess I can’t argue with that.”

“Oh? What can Shikamaru do?” Midoriya asked.

“He’s got this technique where he extends his shadow and latches it onto other people’s shadows. It temporarily paralyzes whoever he uses it on.” Naruto explained. “Ah, but that’s not all. His _real_ power is in his intelligence. He’s got an I.Q. of, like, 200. Through just his wits, he can defeat the strongest enemies.”

“Is he arrogant about it?” Ashido rested her chin on her hand, regarding Naruto knowingly.

“Nope, not at all. Actually, he’s pretty humble. Lazy, too.” Naruto chuckled. “The guy’s a genius, but he doesn’t act high and mighty in the slightest. He’s always hung out with me without ever looking down on me.”

“A smart person with no arrogance? That’s awesome… so he’s your friend, huh?”

"Yeah, along with Kiba and Choji," Naruto confirmed. "Kiba usually works with his dog, Akamaru. He's actually a bit like a dog himself, with his crazy powerful sense of smell, and his animalistic movements in battle. Kiba's really cool, ya know. He always tries too hard to be a tough guy, but still, he's so much fun to be around. He's one of the few people that really get me."

"And how about Choji?" Ashido asked.

“Choji can expand parts of his body, and even his entire body. It’s pretty crazy to see. He can seriously turn into a huge ball and roll over someone.”

“Like a roly-poly of death…” Ashido nodded slowly.

“Hmm, it’s weird to think of him as deadly, though. He’s actually really nice, and even polite.” Naruto put his hands behind his head and leaned back, a reminiscent expression appearing on his face. “Choji, Kiba, and Shikamaru were my friends since childhood. Those three really helped me through some tough times."

Naruto then looked like he just remembered something. “Oh, I should mention Shino too.”

“Who’s that?”

"Just a moody guy with a gross technique."

"W-Wait, there's more to him th-than that," Hinata stuttered. It was hard to defy Naruto's opinion, but she had to put some respect on poor Shino's name. "S-Sure, he's quite sensitive, and I know it gets in the way of his interactions sometimes... But that's only because he values his friends, which makes him care a lot about what they think of him. A-And you should know that he's really thoughtful and considerate, and... Um..."

“She’s muttering like you,” Ashido whispered jestingly to Midoriya.

"I get it, Hinata. He's a good guy." Naruto grinned at the Hyuga understandingly. "And his power isn't all that bad." He turned to Midoriya and Ashido to explain further. "Ya see, Shino's body is full of bugs that can eat other people's chakra. It's gross, but it's effective."

"Uh, that’s… great?" was all Ashido could say, trying to hide her disgust. Midoriya, on the other hand, seemed to really admire the unique affliction of Shino's technique. The fanboyish interest in his eyes was shining even brighter now.

"I-I'd also like to share," Hinata said shyly. "My cousin, Neji... He used to hate me, but now we're as close as siblings. H-He acts kind of cold and aloof, but underneath that, he's very caring and loyal."

"He sounds cool," said Ashido, imagining Neji as a handsome tsundere dude (which wasn’t too far from the truth).

"He is." Hinata held both hands near her chest. "And strong too. I've always looked up to him."

"How strong?" Midoriya wondered.

"Hyuga Neji is an elite ninja," Sasuke answered. "Being a master of the byakugan, he can use his rotation technique as an overwhelming defense. He can also block off his opponent's chakra points in rapid succession, thereby immobilizing them."

"He's even faster than me," Hinata added, causing Ashido's eyes to widen in disbelief. She leaned in and stared right at Hinata.

"There's no way. You completed the sprint in a third of a second."

"But it's true," Hinata replied with a small giggle. (Ashido sat back against the bench and shook her head, unable to even imagine someone that fast.) "And there's also Neji's friends, Tenten-san and Rock Lee-san. Tenten-san’s specialty is weaponry; she’s able to summon a great amount of them at the same time and launch them all at her enemy. She’s pretty serious and strong-minded, but she also has a kind, laid-back side. And Lee-san is…" she paused as she tried to think of the best way to describe him.

"The village nutjob," Naruto finished.

"Pfff, that's so true," Sakura laughed. "Lee is so gung-ho about everything, it’s kind of hilarious… But inspiring at the same time, of course.”

“Really… What’s his ability?” Midoriya asked curiously.

“His determination,” Sakura replied with certainty, earning her puzzled looks from Midoriya and Ashido. “Let me explain. He was born with an inability to perform ninja techniques. But by constantly putting himself through outrageous physical training, he was able to become a ninja with only martial arts, a feat that no one believed could be accomplished.”

“As wacky as he is, I gotta admit…” Naruto smiled. “Lee is one amazing ninja.”

“I’d say he’s almost on par with Neji,” Sasuke stated, a hint of commendation betraying the impartial tone he was going for.

“Wow, he sounds amazing!” Midoriya held up two clenched hands in excitement, the wall containing his fanboyish-ness finally caving in. His green eyes now seemed to be filled with stars of exaltation. “He’s like a true underdog protagonist, based on what you’ve all said. He managed to raise himself to nearly the level of an elite ninja? All within the limitations of his body’s physical potential, and with no special powers? His journey to success really shows that anyone can do it. With enough grit and effort, you can reach your goal, no matter how lofty others may say it is. I’d say that is one of the most valuable lessons out there. Uwaaa, Rock Lee-san is a real hero!”

At the end of his reverent outburst, it took a second for Midoriya to realize what he’d just done. He quickly covered his blushing face, hiding from the others’ amused laughter.

“That was so cute!” Sakura exclaimed with no malicious intent. “Lee would be thrilled to have a fan like you. No one has ever praised him like that, even though he really deserves it.”

“How about this—I’ll tell him everything you just said when I return to Konoha,” Naruto offered.

“N-No!” Midoriya squeaked in embarrassment, causing another round of laughter among his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Sakura saw in the beginning were hydrangeas, in case you were wondering.
> 
> This chapter was surprisingly hard to write, btw... Not sure if it turned out any good, but I tried! Hope you enjoyed.


	16. Midoriya's Secret

The sun began to set, painting the sky in bold orange colors and giving the area’s greenery a shining golden glow. Seeing it was almost time for dinner, the six friends leisurely headed back to the Heights Alliance together. Sakura and Midoriya found themselves walking side-by-side behind the rest of the group.

Remembering how Midoriya blushed when Uraraka bumped his shoulder, Sakura took this chance to interrogate—no, _gently question_ him.

“Ah, Izuku. I wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“What do you think of Ochaco?” Sakura made her voice as casual as possible, trying to minimize Midoriya’s reluctance to answer.

“Ah—well…!” Midoriya blushed ever so slightly, much like before when he was with Ochaco.

 _’He’s doing it again… interesting,’_ thought Sakura.

“I guess I... l-l-like her a lot? As a friend!” Midoriya immediately corrected himself and kept talking to cover up his embarrassing comment. “B-Because she’s very supportive! She’s been so nice to me ever since we first met.”

“I see,” Sakura acknowledged, struggling hiding to hide the mirth from her voice. She’d been wondering if Midoriya had a crush on Uraraka, and his reaction to her simple question seemed to pretty much confirm it.

Or so she’d thought.

Sakura watched in mild confusion as Midoriya’s eyes wandered to something far away. Inexplicably, the nervous expression melted away from his face. Whatever he was looking at, it seemed to lull him into a state of contentment and… longing?

Curiously, Sakura followed the greenette’s gaze. To their right, she saw a running track with only one person using it.

_’It’s that jerk Katsuki…’_

Bakugou, wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts, was running at a fast pace on the track’s outer lane. He was covered in sweat, causing his bangs to cling to his forehead, and his clothes to stick close to his skin. Bakugou’s determined countenance contained an undeniable element of anger (though Sakura had no idea what could have upset him so much).

Sakura looked back at Midoriya. He continued to walk with her, though he was still staring at Bakugou as though in a trance.

“Izuku?” Sakura spoke up, causing Midoriya to flinch and snap his attention back to her.

“S-Sorry, Haruno-san!”

“You were… distracted?” Sakura asked carefully. Midoriya’s moderate blush instantly became a full-on flush.

“I… I…” Red-faced, Midoriya avoided eye contact with Sakura. “Yes! I-I was distracted by the sunset! It’s very b-beautiful today!”

Sakura held back a disappointed sigh. She hadn’t really expected Midoriya to straight-up lie to her.

_’…But I guess it makes sense for him to lie. No boy would openly admit to checking out another boy.’_

“Yep. It really is.” Deciding to cut Midoriya some slack, Sakura played along and looked at the clouds above her. “I like how the clouds are being illuminated by the sun’s light.”

“Yeah, definitely!” Midoriya said a little too eagerly, clearly happy to change the subject. “Th-the sun’s radiance must be extra powerful today.”

Sakura hummed in agreement. She was still wondering about Midoriya and Bakugou, but she decided not to press the matter… for now.

 _’Don’t think you’re off the hook, Izuku,’_ Inner Sakura sneered. _’I will definitely find out what you’re hiding!_

~

One look at Bakugou’s face was more than enough to sense the ire radiating off his being. His eyebrows were furrowed, his nose scrunched up, his lips pursed tightly… Without a doubt, Bakugou was angry about something.

Yet still…

Midoriya was charmed by the sight.

Anyone could see that Bakugou possesses handsome features and an attractive body, but Midoriya was also impressed by the sheer determination that was evident in the boy’s expression and actions. It was obvious that Bakugou had been running for a while, since he was practically drenched in sweat.

Seeing him like this made Midoriya’s heart flutter.

But the moment of adoration ended as swiftly as it began, as the sound of Sakura’s voice forced Midoriya back into reality.

She questioned him, but thankfully, he was somehow able to steer their conversation towards the sunset. She seemed to know that he’d been staring at Bakugou, but she was nice enough to let it go.

 _’She almost found out, she almost found out, she almost found out, she almost found out…‘_ Midoriya took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. _’It’s okay… She didn’t find out.’_

Being gay wasn’t normal. It wasn’t right.  
At least, that’s what the world thought… So if anyone found out about Midoriya’s crush on his childhood friend, they’d probably be disgusted.

And in high school, a secret revealed always spreads like wildfire. Always.  
If one person found out Midoriya’s secret, the entire school would eventually find out. The bullying Midoriya thought he’d left in the past would suddenly return, and his life would once again become a long nightmare from which he wouldn’t be able to wake up.

And with such a terrible reputation, there’s no way he’d ever be a hero that people look up to and respect. There’s no way… he would ever take All Might’s place.

Those consequences alone terrified him. But unfortunately, that wasn’t even the end of his worries.

If word of his sexuality spread through the school, Bakugou’s hatred toward him would reach unimaginable heights. The explosive boy would be filled with so much hatred and disgust, he wouldn’t even be able to _look_ at Midoriya.

_’He’d… probably try to kill me.’_

With his mind plagued by the looming threat of those possibilities, Midoriya felt a little sick. It was like the anxiety was clenching his heart and twisting his stomach.

~

As the six students approached the entrance to the Heights Alliance, Naruto got everyone’s attention.

“Hey, Sakura-chan, Sasuke, Hinata.” Naruto was looking down at his phone. “I’ve got a school Email. It says to go to Aizawa-sensei’s office to get our U.A. uniforms.”

“Alright, let’s go there together.” Sakura then turned to Midoriya. “I’ll see you later, Izuku.”

“S-See you, Haruno-san,” Midoriya stuttered timidly, still avoiding eye contact.

As the other ninjas said their goodbyes to Midoriya and Ashido, Sakura studied Midoriya with a growing feeling of concern.

“C’mon, Sakura-chan.” Naruto motioned for her to follow him.

Sakura went with Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata to the main building. The whole way there, she thought of Midoriya, and what she could do to learn more about his issues with Uraraka and Bakugou (especially the latter).

~  
~  
~  
~  
~  
~

“I hate Mondays,” Naruto grumbled, slouched in his seat.

It was Monday morning, and the first class of the day was supposed to start in a few minutes. The students of 1-A were already in their seats, waiting patiently for Aizawa to wake up from his morning nap. Naruto and his friends, now wearing the U.A. uniform (keeping their sandals and headbands), were once again together in the new front row.

“Naruto, we just enrolled in this school the other day.” Sakura raised an eyebrow. “How are you already so exhausted?”

“He stayed up late on his cell phone,” Sasuke responded before Naruto could say anything.

“So what?” Naruto huffed defensively. “You make it sound like a bad thing. But I’ll have you know that I discovered some amazing things on the internet, believe it!”

“I’m sure you did. That doesn’t excuse your lack of proper sleep.”

“I don’t need you lecturing me, bastard…” Naruto mumbled, knowing that Sasuke was right.

“W-We just want you to stay healthy, Naruto-kun,” Hinata added softly. “And you’ll also do better in school if you’re well-rested.”

“Fine… I guess I’ll lay off the phone tonight.”

“Good,” Hinata said with a gentle smile. She seemed to be relieved. Much to Naruto’s surprise, Sasuke did as well, giving Naruto a single nod of approval.

At exactly 8:30, almost as if his body had an innate sense of the time, Aizawa woke up from his nap and abandoned his sleeping bag to begin class. The students’ conversations died down.

Aizawa passed out a worksheet to the students, telling them to complete it by the end of the period.

“This is just review of what we’ve learned. You should know the answer to this question.” With that, he sat behind his desk and started grading some old assignments.

Naruto read the question on his paper and was instantly displeased.

**In at least three paragraphs, answer the following question: What should you, as a U.A. student, do in the event of a villain attack? In your answer, you are expected to account for multiple situational variables, resulting in a nuanced essay.**

_’Who the hell wrote this question?!’_ Naruto yelled in his mind, stumped by the fancy words used in the question. He shot a brief glare at Aizawa, before looking back down at his paper. After reading the question a few more times, Naruto finally figured out what it was saying: what he should do during a villain attack will depend heavily on the specific situation.

_’Still, how the heck am I supposed to know the answer to this? This world has some weird rules about quirk use and self-defense…’_

Naruto groaned lowly and rested his face on his desk. He saw that Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata were already writing their essays. Fantastic… once again, Naruto was the dumb one.  
He was also that way in the ninja Academy; sleeping during lessons, half-assing his assignments… it was second nature for him to slack off in school.

_’…I… I don’t wanna be the dumb one anymore.’_

Naruto lifted his head and thought for a while about his answer. He soon started to write as he remembered everything he’d learned about this world. He used the rules Aizawa told him on his first day at U.A., as well as the ones his new classmates taught him when they were all chatting in the common room.

Naruto finished his essay a little later than most of the other students. The structure of his writing was clumsy, since he simply wrote things as soon as they came to his mind, but he did answer the question to the fullest extent. It was more effort than he’d ever applied in the ninja Academy; back then, he might have just left the worksheet blank.

After every student passed their papers up to Aizawa, there was a big chunk of free time left in class, which wasn’t unusual for 1-A. It was then Ashido waved her arm in the air and called out to Aizawa.

“Aizawa-sensei! Kaminari and I have a theory about you!”

“…Do I really want to know?” Aizawa frowned.

“Of course you do! We’ve put a lot of thought into this one!”

“So you spend your time fantasizing about Shouta-sensei’s private life?” Sasuke asked, turning around to give Ashido a judgmental look. The alien girl puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

“Shut up. This theory is about you too, you know!” She placed her hands on her hips and looked back at Aizawa. “Aizawa-sensei, we think Uchiha is secretly your son!” Hearing Ashido’s ridiculous claim, a few students started to laugh, but she paid them no mind.

“…really?” Naruto’s gaze shifted several times between Aizawa and Sasuke as he compared the two’s features. They actually did look pretty similar.

For a moment, Aizawa simply stared at Ashido and Kaminari blankly. Upon realizing that they were being completely serious, he let out a long, tired, sigh.  
“You’ve already made the same assumption about Shinsou, and you were wrong.”

“Sure, we might’ve gotten that one wrong,” Kaminari admitted. “But we’re totally certain this time! After all, you and Uchiha-kun both have black hair and black eyes.”

“And you both use your eyes for combat,” Ashido added. “They even both turn red when in use!”

“And you’ve got the same serious demeanor!” Kaminari finished.

“…Uchiha is from another world,” Aizawa deadpanned.

“Or is he?” Ashido shot back with a grin.

“Your conspiracy theories are making me tired,” Aizawa yawned. “I’m going to take a nap.”

 _’Everything makes him tired,’_ everyone thought in bemusement as their teacher slipped into his sleeping bag.

“Ya know, that theory isn’t half bad.” Naruto praised, now turning around to offer Ashido and Kaminari an encouraging smile. “Even though Shouta-sensei and Sasuke have different last names, are from different universes, and have lived separate lives… it kind of makes sense, somehow!”

"My theories always make sense,” Ashido boasted proudly with her head held high (despite her track record of being completely incorrect). “You wanna hear the one I have about Todoroki and this one guy in the League of Villains?”

Her mouth was promptly frozen shut by a layer of ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Todoroki does NOT wanna be related to Dabi.  
> Ashido has repeated that theory way too many times and he's done with it, lmao


	17. Lunchroom Drama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I forgot how FUN it is to write this stupid thing! I gave up on updating because I thought the story was filled with too many mistakes and cringe-worthy moments... but someone recently left a very nice comment that motivated me to keep going. Thank you, sakurablossomgirl16!
> 
> So yeah, this story might be somewhat of a mess, but I'm gonna embrace that! I'm gonna keep writing for no reason other than having fun!

As soon as lunchtime came around, Naruto stood up hastily enough to almost knock his chair back. Though they weren't quite as rash as Naruto, the other three ninjas were also quick to leave their desks. They, too, were eager for a break from academic learning (especially since it had been years since they’d last been forced to sit in a classroom for hours).

"See you in the cafeteria, Deku!" Naruto called out as he went out the door, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata following close behind.

The hallway was already somewhat busy with students from other classes. Most of their eyes were on the four new kids of 1-A. Naruto, too fixated on the idea of ramen for lunch, was completely oblivious to the stares and whispers around him.  
Sasuke’s gaze was fixed straight ahead, as though he was paying absolutely no mind to everyone else. In reality, he was actually subtly observing the other students in search of potential threats or disturbances. Sakura was pretty much doing the same thing, but she was far more obvious about it, her head constantly turning to scan the crowds.  
Hinata couldn’t even bring herself to lift her head. Out of habit, she held her hands together tightly, and tried to make herself look small, wanting to escape from all the attention.

Naruto glanced over at Hinata. Noticing her in such a state, he spoke to her quietly so only she could hear.

“What’s wrong, Hinata?”

“N-Nothing, Na-Naruto-kun…”

At that moment, Naruto then noticed the other U.A. students.

“Don’t worry about them, Hinata,” he told her. “You’re a badass ninja. Embrace it!”

“Uh…! Okay!” Hinata straightened her back, and with a bit of mental effort, looked straight ahead instead of at the floor.

“That’s more like it,” Naruto said in that encouraging voice of his. (It was enough to almost make the Hyuga melt.)

The ninjas arrived at the lunchroom, got their respective meals, and sat together at the same table from before. It wasn’t long before they were joined by Midoriya and his friends.

“You all seemed desperate to leave class,” Asui commented. “Even you, Uchiha-chan, which I think is unusual for you.”

“Hn.” Sasuke took a bite of his rice ball to avoid answering her properly.

“Ah, we’re just tired of learning so much,” Naruto said airily.

“Jeez, don’t make us sound so lazy, Naruto,” Sakura interjected.

“But it’s true, ya know.”

“I… I guess it is.” Sakura sighed. “Fine. I’ll admit it—I really don’t feel like learning how to read some random literature from a random land across the sea. I mean—“ Before she could elaborate, Iida cut in.

“Haruno-kun, you must not speak of our curriculum in such a discouraging manner!” His right hand shot up and pointed rigidly at the pinkette in a gesture of authority. “Every bit of information learned in every one of our classes will serve to make us well-rounded individuals, which is what every Pro Hero should be!”

“Is that so.” Sakura’s obvious disinterest went unnoticed.

“Absolutely! The ideal Pro Hero has knowledge in a variety of fields, arming him or her with the ability to think critically and…”

“Alright, alright!” Naruto blurted out. “We get it, Tenya-sensei.”

Iida paused.

“…Tenya-sensei?” The class president repeated.

“Yeah, ‘cause you nag nonstop. Like a sensei.” Naruto grinned, pleased with his own joke.

Iida, on the other hand, wasn’t amused, and continued his scolding even more adamantly than before. The rest of the heroes-in-training at the table all stared at Naruto, as if to say ‘look at what you started.’

Sakura, not in the mood to listen to more lectures outside of class, stood up to take a quick break from the group. She was craving some dango anyway, so she decided to go get some from the lunch line.

Not wanting to waste any time, she immediately set a fast walking pace. Unfortunately, this gave her no chance to avoid running into a boy who happened to be holding a bowl of hot curry. The spicy sauce spilled onto both of them, but more of it landed on the boy’s uniform than Sakura’s.

“Ah! I’m so sorry!” Sakura quickly yelped, her voice becoming higher-pitched as she panicked a little. “I really didn’t mean to bump into you, I…”

As her head turned upward, Sakura was shocked into silence by the sheer intensity she witnessed. In the boy’s widened red eyes, all she could see was anger. Highly concentrated anger that was focused on her, and nothing but her. To be the target of such a purely dangerous gaze was quite unsettling…

But then Sakura realized who she was looking at, and she remembered that she could not back down. For the sake of her pride, and for the sake of demanding respect, Sakura spoke up in her usual confident tone.

“Are you trying to glare a hole into my head?” she taunted. “Wipe that scary look off your face. I already apologized.”

“And you fucked up my uniform.” Bakugou shot back darkly. “Not to mention, destroyed my fucking curry. You should pay for that.”

“Sure, I made a mistake, but I won’t pay for anything if you’re going to continue acting like a jerk.” Sakura heard several poorly-concealed gasps and whispers all around her. She ignored the concern of her fellow students and continued her staring contest with the bully.

“You got in my way,” Bakugou replied without missing a beat, throwing his tray and bowl to the side, which fell to the floor with a clatter (a student sitting nearby flinched in fear at the loud noise). Bakugou’s voice grew in volume with each word he spoke, until he was straight-up yelling at Sakura. **“I’m pretty damn sure you should pay for that!”**

At that moment, Sakura’s face scrunched up ever so slightly.  
It was such a small change in her appearance, yet it spoke volumes about her mood. Almost every man in Konoha knows it as a warning, like how a cat arches its back, or how a wolf bares its fangs. It’s the warning Haruno Sakura always gives before clocking you in the head hard enough for you to fly a mile away. 

Bakugou, seemingly unaffected by Sakura’s warning, grabbed her by her uniform jacket, earning him cries of incredulity from the other students in the cafeteria. (Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all stood up from their seats, but they didn’t say anything. They simply watched, tensely waiting for Sakura to send Bakugou flying.)

“L-Let her go, you animal!” someone yelled out. “She’s a _girl!_ How can you treat a girl like that?!”

“Oh my—Bakugou!” Ashido cried. ”You’re going way too far!”

“Bakugou-kun!” Iida shouted while gesticulating wildly. “This behavior is extremely unbecoming of a hero! Release her at once or I will have to report you!”

Bakugou tried his best to ignore everyone. He tried to focus on his current task: intimidating the annoying pest of a girl in front of him. However, one voice in the crowd of U.A. students was too distracting for him to ignore—too grating and _irritating_ to block out of his mind.

“K-Kacchan, wait!”

Bakugou’s shoulders tensed.

“Kacchan, why are you doing this?” Midoriya was now on his feet and slowly walking over to his crush. “Why are you so mad at her? …m-maybe if you explain it to me, we can—“

“No!” Bakugou snapped, his grip on Sakura’s jacket visibly tightening. More and more students were standing up and yelling at him, but he didn’t care at the moment. His anger was now split between Sakura and Midoriya, which was more than enough for him to deal with at once. “You stay out of this Deku! Stay out of this, you useless nerd!”

“B…But…” Midoriya’s arms trembled at his sides as he pondered on what to do.  
_’Should I stop? Defying Kacchan will just make him hate me more—no, wait!’_ Midoriya mentally slapped himself. _’What am I thinking? I have to do something; Haruno-san is in trouble!’_  
“Um…! Kacchan, you have to stop—“

“DEKU!” Bakugou roared, baring his teeth at Midoriya like a maniac. He looked the same way he always did in battle: completely terrifying. As such, many of the kids watching the scene unfold were scared.

But not Sakura.

Bakugou turned his gaze back to the kunoichi to see that her fist was raised.

“I’m going to make you regret crossing my path,” she snarled, fueled by the rage of being picked on and watching poor Midoriya get intimidated as well.

 **“Bakugou Katsuki, Haruno Sakura!”** a deep, commanding voice called out.

“Huh?” said Sakura.

“HAH?” Bakugou spat out angrily.

Suddenly, the fight was over. Bakugou let go of Sakura’s jacket, and Sakura lowered her fist. Both stood statue-still with their arms at their sides, facing each other with completely blank expressions on their faces. Their eyes were blank too, devoid of any color or emotion.

A tense silence filled the cafeteria for a few moments.

“What… what’s going on?” Hinata asked timidly. “Are they okay?”

“Nnngh…” a groan sounded from one purple-haired student several tables away. “I’m… holding them… under mind control.”

“Shinsou-kun!” Midoriya exclaimed.

“Mind control?” Naruto tilted his head in confusion, a slightly worried look appearing on his whiskered face.

“Shinsou-kun, I don’t think that was the wisest decision!” said Iida. “I was just about to go get a teacher—you shouldn’t use your quirk in school, even if it’s to solve a conflict!”

Shinsou held a hand against his head, fighting a pounding headache.  
“They would have… If I didn’t—ughh—interfere... she was going to… hhhh…”

“I believe he is trying to tell you that it was the only way to prevent any serious injury or damage,” Todoroki offered. “Had we all waited for you to bring a teacher here, Bakugou and Haruno may have begun to brawl.”

“…I see.” Iida sighed, unable to deny the logic. It seemed reasonable enough.

“Um, guys? Just what did that purple troll-head do?!” Naruto asked loudly.

“Troll…?” Shinsou mumbled. He couldn’t say much more in response to the jab, as he was on the verge of passing out.

“Shinsou-kun can completely take over the mind of anyone who verbally responds to him,” Midoriya explained quickly. “But I didn’t know you could control more than one person, Shinsou-kun!”

“It’s hard… I can’t…” Shinsou leaned on one of the lunch tables tiredly. “…Can’t hold on much longer.”

“As soon as you let go, they might start fighting again,” Sasuke pointed out. “Katsuki and Sakura are both densely-packed containers of rage, after all.”

“So… what do we do?” Naruto wondered aloud.

~

Shinsou was already pushing the limits of his quirk, so when he felt some unknown force interfering with his control over Sakura, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

After holding onto Sakura and Bakugou’s minds for a while, Shinsou concluded that there was definitely some powerful force deep within Sakura’s mind. He could feel its power jolting his own consciousness, intensifying his headache.

Shinsou focused a little more of his energy on Sakura’s mind, trying to keep this force in check… surprisingly, his efforts were no match for its desperation. It kicked and screamed and thrashed wildly to destroy the fog of Shinsou’s hold, making him realize that this force inside Sakura was its own sentient entity. 

At last, in one final exertion of power, it shattered the link between Shinsou’s mind and Sakura’s mind.

“CHA!”

The battle cry rang loudly in Shinsou’s head, sending the pain of his headache over the edge.

~

Sakura gasped. Her eyes, now a bright green once more, widened with shock as she took a step back.  
_’What just happened to me?’_

At the same time, Shinsou groaned loudly and gripped his head with both hands.

“Sakura, you’re awake!” said Naruto.

“She’s awake?!” Midoriya borderline-screeched in pure shock.

“Something… something locked me into a trance,” Sakura murmured drowsily.

“You and Bakugou were about a millisecond away from destroying each other and possibly the entire lunch room,” Sasuke told her calmly. “Someone used their mind control quirk on the two of you to prevent that.”

“But you broke out of it?!” On impulse, Midoriya rushed over to Sakura, his curiosity completely taking over. “How is this possible? That shouldn’t be possible! Wait, maybe it’s because he was controlling two people? Could that be it? Maybe splitting his control in half makes it weaker... No, no, that can’t be. Once you’re under Shinsou’s mind control, there’s no way you should be able to escape, unless you’re jostled or injured somehow!”

“Sakura’s mind cannot be tamed,” Sasuke responded. “Her spirit is too powerful to be locked down by any jutsu or ‘quirk,’ so naturally, she warded off the mind control with no outside help.”

“S-Sasuke-kun…” Sakura blushed, hearing such earnest praise from the usually uncaring Sasuke. She would have to thank Inner Sakura later.  
(A certain electric blonde, meanwhile, squirmed in their seat with jealousy.)

“That’s right!” Naruto nodded vigorously. “She even got out of a mind-switching jutsu once!”

“Oh really…?” Shinsou muttered weakly, looking down at the floor in defeat.

“Whoa… Haruno-san, you are so, so, cool.” Midoriya stared at her in awe.

“…Well, this lunch period has certainly been eventful, hasn’t it?” Iida stated, adjusting his glasses. “I better tell a teacher about this whole incident.”  
In no more than a second, Midoriya butted in.

“W-Wait, Iida-kun, wait!” Midoriya speed-walked over to Iida, anxiety clear on his freckled face.

“Midoriya?” Iida raised an eyebrow. “Are you… Blatantly obstructing the enforcement of school rules?”

“Please—Iida-kun, I I don’t intend any disrespect,” the greenette promised. “Just please don’t report this. No harm was done in the end, right? _R-right?_ ”

“Midoriya, you aren’t even the one getting in trouble. Why do you insist on keeping this a secret?”

 _’Because the boy I care about most is going to get in trouble.’_  
Midoriya didn’t say that out loud, but the thought was definitely prominent in his mind. He felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. What was he doing, talking back to the class president like this? Was it really okay for him to stoop this low?

Iida shook his head.

“Midoriya-kun, something about this incident is putting you in distress; I can tell. You may speak to me about the issue later if you wish, as it is unhealthy to bottle up your concerns. However, you should know that I have no choice but to report this entire incident to a staff member as soon as possible. Virtually the entire student body has witnessed it, so the teachers will find out anyway. It is better for the teachers to find out through a formal report, rather than through students’ rumors. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Too embarrassed to speak, Midoriya simply nodded his head, looking away (at the still-frozen Bakugou).

“Trust me. We would _all_ get in trouble if we tried to keep this a secret.” Iida’s voice was patient and gentle. “So I’m going to go tell someone, okay?”

Another nod from the greenette, much to Iida’s relief.

“Haruno-kun,” Iida said.

“Oh, uh, yeah?” Sakura looked over at Iida.

“Please leave the cafeteria. Bakugou will be released from Shinsou’s mind control any moment now.”

“Right. Wouldn’t want another fight breaking out, haha!” Sakura laughed.

Iida simply looked at her blankly, unamused—offended, even—by her attempt to lighten the mood.

Awkwardly, Sakura started heading out while everyone else watched her like it was the ultimate walk of shame. On her way to the exit, Sakura brushed past Shinsou.

“Meet me right outside the cafeteria, please,” she whispered to him quickly, before leaving the cafeteria.

“Shinsou-kun, you may release Bakugou-kun,” Iida said.

Not needing to be told twice, Shinsou released Bakugou right away.

“Agh, what the f—“ Bakugou was cut off by Iida.

“Bakugou-kun, if you cause any more disruptions, I will make sure you have detention for the rest of the semester.”

That shut the explosive blonde up real quick. Seething with annoyance, Bakugou sat down and tried to cool off.

Satisfied, Iida left to speak to a teacher.

Gradually, everyone in the cafeteria started sitting down, eating lunch, and making conversation again. It wasn’t long before they were all chattering excitedly about the drama they’d just seen.

“I’m here!” Uraraka announced as she arrived. “Sorry I’m late; I had rush through a homework assignment that completely slipped my mind yesterday. Hey, everyone seems really lively. Did anything happen?”

“You missed literally EVERYTHING!” Naruto burst out laughing.

“Yeah, Ochaco-san…” Hinata smiled mirthfully. “A lot happened before you arrived.”

“Huh, really? Tell me, please!” Uraraka whined. “Don’t leave anything out!”

“Well, alright!” Naruto leaned back with his hands behind his head. “It all started when Sakura-chan left the lunch table…”

~

Sakura stood right outside the cafeteria, leaning against the wall and staring at the ceiling. She vaguely hoped she wouldn’t get in trouble for what happened today.

“They can’t punish me too severely…” she mumbled. “What I did was self-defense…”

“Not exactly,” Shinsou rasped.

“Oh, hey!” Sakura lit up a little, turning to face Shinsou. “You actually came out here. I’m glad.”

“What do you want? Tell me before I leave you here alone.”

“I know you’re probably kind of pissed at me,” Sakura said sheepishly. “And you have every right to be.”

“Well, you pretty much forced me to overuse my quirk, because you were too full of pride to just walk away from the Pomeranian-looking brat.” Shinsou narrowed his eyes. “And you broke my mind control. You… You were the second person to do that…” his voice trailed off as he looked away from Sakura.

“You… Did that make you feel… weak?” As soon as the question left her mouth, Sakura instantly smacked her palm against her forehead. “Dang it, I didn’t mean to sound so rude—“

“Goodbye.”

“No, don’t leave!” Sakura spoke as fast as possible in an effort to make him stay. “Just because two people have broken from your mind control, it doesn’t mean your abilities are inherently flawed! It just means you have room to grow, and that’s okay! I know you can become strong enough to develop a near-unbreakable quirk. Also, I’m sorry for giving you a hellish headache!”

“Oh…” Shinsou gave her a perplexed look, before putting on his usual neutral-sleepy expression (or at least attempting to do so in his pained state). “You don’t have to comfort me. I was already aware of all that.”

“Oh. Heh.”

“But… how did you know I had a ‘hellish headache’?”

“Well, you were holding your head a lot, and your speech was slurred.” Sakura hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Can I… make you feel better?”

Shinsou raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t see how you could, but I suppose you can try.”

“Just—don’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Wait, are you going to do something weird? Look, I’m not interes—“

“No!” Sakura snapped before he could even go there. “I know a healing technique.”

“Oh… really?”

“Yes. You can’t tell anyone, though. I don’t know if Sasuke-kun is alright with me revealing it to others.”

“Then why are you telling me?”

“Because… It’s my fault you’re in pain.” Sakura hung her head guiltily. “As a medic nin in training, I shouldn’t harm innocent people; I’m supposed to help them. So let me help you.”

Shinsou stayed quiet for a few seconds, considering her words. Then he nodded.

“Okay.”

Sakura smiled softly. She lifted her arms, each hand on one side of Shinsou’s head.

Then, Shinsou felt it. A warm, comforting energy sinking through his scalp. It washed over his brain in soothing waves that overrode the pain. The antagonizing throbbing ebbed away, banished by Sakura’s healing palms.

This was far more tolerable than Recovery Girl’s wet kisses.

After a while, Sakura pulled her hands away.

“How do you feel?” She asked hopefully.

“Much better,” Shinsou answered. “The pain is all gone.”

“Great! I’m glad your body didn’t react negatively to my chakra. I guess this means I can safely transfer chakra to others in this world…” That was definitely good to know, Sakura decided.

“…It’s impressive that you have multiple abilities.”

“Thanks. You’re pretty impressive too.”

“Hey.” Shinsou’s tone was suddenly rough.

“H-Huh?”  
_’Did I say something wrong again…?_

“Didn’t I tell you?” A playful smile appeared on the purple-haired boy’s face. “I don’t need your comfort.”

“Oh, pfft, right!” Sakura chuckled.

A few students started trickling out of the cafeteria, signaling that lunch was over and it was time to go to class.

“Well, see you… Wait, what’s your name?”

“Shinsou. Shinsou Hitoshi.”

“Gotcha!” Sakura offered him one last smile look before walking away. “See you, Hitoshi!”

Shinsou couldn’t help but smile too. Sakura was a violent vessel of dormant rage, activated by the smallest trigger… yet at the same time, she was capable of compassion. It seemed that he’d misunderstood her at first.

_’Maybe I shouldn’t be too quick to judge.’_

~

Bakugou stalked through the hallways on his way to class. He was no longer as unstable as he was before, but he was still pretty pissed.

_’She was in my way… how dare she get in my—‘_

**”Bakugou Katsuki, please report to the principal’s office. Bakugou Katsuki, please report to the principal’s office.”**

The announcement boomed over the intercom, drowning out Bakugou’s thoughts and filling him with a horrible mix of dread and fury. He could feel everyone else in the hallway staring at him.

Wanting to just get the shit over with, Bakugou marched to the principal’s office to receive his punishment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was quite the drama, huh? Iida's gonna have some gray hairs by the end of this story, lmao
> 
> Also, can you guys see the ships I'm hinting at? CAN YOU SEE THEM?  
> There's one you're probably not expecting... hehe...


	18. After-class Activities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I proofread and edited this a gazilion times so I really hope there are no typos jfhasdjfhljsdf

Sakura got to class and took her usual seat next to Sasuke. Aizawa gave her a look for being one minute late, but didn’t bother scolding her.

“Sakura,” said Sasuke.

Sakura looked to the left to see Sasuke holding some dango.

“Sasuke-kun… is that for me?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. You never got a chance to eat, so I took one for you.”

Sakura accepted the dango, butterflies fluttering in her chest as her hand lightly brushed against Sasuke’s.

“Thank you, Sasuke-kun.” She happily started eating the sweet dumplings.

After a few minutes, Bakugou walked in, bringing with him an uneasy feeling that instantly latched onto the entire room. The explosive boy practically slammed his late pass onto Aizawa’s desk before heading to his desk in the very back of the room.

“Now that Bakugou has graced us with his presence, we can begin the lesson,” Aizawa announced sardonically.

Aizawa then started to talk about some recent hero-related news.  
It would have been a completely normal class period if it weren’t for a certain someone constantly speaking out of turn.

“Kaminari, what is so important that you have to whisper about it while I am speaking?” Aizawa chided.

“I was just asking Ashido for a pencil,” Kaminari defended sheepishly.

“You should have come to class prepared,” Aizawa retorted before continuing the lecture… until he caught Kaminari whispering once more. “Kaminari—“

“Sorry, sensei!” the boy blurted out. “I was just asking Jirou to explain what you said.”

“If you have a question, you may raise your hand and wait for me to call on you. Do I have to move your seat?”

To that, Kaminari had no response. Aizawa tried to start speaking again, but then—

“Pfft!” Jirou tried, and failed, to contain a bout of laughter.

Aizawa glided over to the girl’s desk to see that she was holding a small note. He snatched it from her hands, and drawn inside was a crude doodle of the tired teacher himself (but with big, sharp teeth and a scowl on his face.) At the bottom was Kaminari’s signature.

“Kaminari, switch seats with Haruno this instant,” Aizawa demanded.

Without hesitation, Kaminari stood up and picked up his things. Sakura reluctantly did the same, and the two of them switched seats.

Sasuke watched with mild interest as Kaminari sat next to him, looking oddly triumphant for a student who’d just been admonished by the teacher.

“If you disrupt the lesson again, the punishment will be far more severe,” Aizawa warned before returning to his place at the front of the room. He then added, “This seating change is permanent. I won’t tolerate any complaints regarding the matter.”

But Kaminari wasn’t complaining at all. In fact, he was finally behaving properly now that he’d been moved.

~

After all of the day’s classes, the Konoha nins decided to spend some more time studying together.

“I still don’t see why we have to do this…” Naruto muttered as he and his friends walked to the school library together.

“We can’t fall behind on our studies,” Sakura reminded him before sighing dejectedly. “I could barely see the chalkboard after Shouta-sensei made me switch seats with Denki. I feel like I missed some important information during the lesson.”

“Well, Denki certainly seems much happier in your seat,” Sasuke commented.

“What do you mean?”

“He kept observing me during class with a dumb smile on his face. And he always averted his eyes whenever I looked at him.”

“Ugh, he’s so weird,” Sakura huffed. “Not to mention, it’s his fault our seats got switched and now I can’t see the board. That inconsiderate dummy.”

“Haruno-kun, you shouldn’t insult your classmates like that!" a familiar voice scolded loudly.

“Oh! Hey, Glasses!” Naruto greeted Iida, who was taken aback by the new nickname.

“You—!” Iida was cut off by Sasuke.

“Tenya, there’s no point in scolding him.” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “No matter what you say, he’ll always be a disrespectful dumbass.”

“Hey, I wasn’t being disrespectful you bastard!” Naruto huffed and crossed his arms. “I just like giving people nicknames, alright? Is that a crime?”

Iida was at a loss for words for a moment, before he simply sighed and shook his head.

“Leave the degrading nicknames to Bakugou-kun,” he said before dropping the subject. “Anyway, where are you all off to?”

“The library, to study. Would you like to join us?” Sakura offered.

“No, I have to go to the running track outside. It’s time I improve my running technique, and acquire an unbeatable speed.”

“Really? I know all about running!” Naruto chimed in.

“Yes, I’m aware.” Iida frowned ever so slightly. “You four are rather… gifted in that regard.”

“Yup, so how about I help you train?”

“…Really?” Iida was stunned. “You’d… do that for me?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course! We’re friends, after all!” Clearly unwilling to waste any time, Naruto draped his arm over Iida’s shoulder and semi-dragged him away. “Trust me, Glasses—I mean, Tenya! By the time I’m done with ya, you’ll be the fastest guy in the school! Believe it!”

After Iida and Naruto were gone, Sakura said in a deadpan voice—  
“Naruto definitely did that just to escape our studying session, didn’t he?”

Hinata and Sasuke nodded in silent affirmation.

“Oh, well! He only has himself to blame if he fails our English classes! Let’s go, Sasuke-kun, Hinata.”

Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata all went together to the library.

~

Now in their U.A. gym uniforms, Iida and Naruto stood at the starting line of the school track. Hearing his phone ding, Naruto pulled it out of his pocket and checked his messages.

**Hinata: Hi, Naruto-kun. I’ll be sending you notes from our study session. I know you didn’t want to come, but it’s still helpful for you to have these in case you’d like to study on your own later.**

**Hinata: [image]**

**Hinata: [image]**

Naruto smiled and gave a quick reply.

**Naruto: Thanks, Hinata!**

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and turned to Iida.

“I truly appreciate you taking the time to do this, Uzumaki-kun,” Iida told him.

“Ah, it’s no big deal. Just helping out a friend!”  
_’And getting out of studying.’_ He kept that thought to himself.

“As you know, the engines in my calves allow me to go much faster than the average person. Before we go any further in this training session, I should demonstrate my quirk to you.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Naruto watched as Iida knelt down and placed his hands on the ground. “Ready… set… go!”

At Naruto’s last word, Iida took off, his engines blasting out a gust of exhaust behind him. He blazed across the track as fast as he could, making it back to the starting line in about 20 seconds.

“Now that you’ve seen my quirk in action, do you have any advice?”

“Uh, that was pretty good, I guess. You’re definitely faster than a civilian, but you’re not nearly as fast as a ninja. I think it’s your movement.”

“My movement?”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t move your arms while running—that’s a totally outdated method, ya know. Instead, you should keep your arms behind you, like this.” Naruto got into his usual running position. “See? If you just run like this, it should work. At least, that’s what the Academy taught me.”

“Are you sure about that? I don’t mean to question your expertise... but perhaps the optimal running techniques for a ninja may not work for me.”

“But I am sure, Tenya!” Naruto walked over and patted Iida on the shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. “C’mon, would I lie to you?”

“No, I know you wouldn’t! I’ll give your method a try now.”

Iida stood right behind the start line and stretched him arms out behind him. He took a deep breath, lowered his upper body, activated his quirk, and took off!  
Unfortunately, Iida’s engines propelled his body downward, causing him to fall face-first into the concrete.

“Tenya!” Naruto yelped. He grabbed Iida by the arm and none too gently lifted the taller boy up from the ground. “Are you okay?!”

“I-I’m fine,” Iida answered quickly, despite the stringing pain on his forehead. He adjusted his lopsided glasses, which were thankfully unbroken by the impact.

“Your forehead has this huge scrape, though! Maybe I should take you to the school nurse—“

“No, it’s fine. Really!” Iida held up his hands. “I can always visit her office later, but right now, we need to keep practicing.”

“But seriously, I can see blood, ya know…”

Iida took a napkin out of his pocket and wiped the wound on his face, wincing at the painful sensation.

“Is it still bleeding?” Iida asked Naruto.

“Well, no…”

“Then let’s keep training.”

“Tenya, why’re you ignoring the pain?” Naruto asked. “In fact, why do you wanna train so hard in the first place?”

There was a pause between them. For a minute, Naruto thought Iida wasn’t going to respond at all. The blonde was about to speak again, but Iida finally answered.

“I want to be known for my running skills, since that’s what I’m best at. You and your friends are currently the fastest students in the school, there’s no denying that… but I won’t let that fact defeat me. My goal is to surpass everyone else, and be the fastest Pro Hero there ever was. So I’m going to do my best, no matter what it takes!”

After expressing his honest feelings, Iida briefly worried that he’d come across as too hostile, but was immediately relieved by Naruto’s cheerful reply.

“…Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Naruto grinned and slapped Iida’s back. “Tenya, I’ll definitely help you make that happen, so let’s get back to practicing! Oh, and I’m really sorry for making you fall on your face.”

“Thank you, Uzumaki-kun. And don’t worry about it—mistakes are bound to happen during training.”

“Hmm, maybe your upper body was too close to the ground. You should try it again with a slightly adjusted position!”

~

This was the shittiest afternoon Bakugou has had in a while. He looked up at the clock on the wall above Aizawa’s head.

5:28.  
Two minutes until freedom.  
Good, because he could feel a steady stream of irate energy coursing through his veins, threatening to burst out of his palms and destroy everything within a 5-meter radius.

5:29.  
One more minute… To Bakugou, the past two and a half hours had been so painfully pointless. Those were two hours he could have spent on training, or homework, or getting sweet revenge on stupid Sakura.

5:30.

“Your detention for today is over, Bakugou,” Aizawa stated. “You may leave.”

Despite the itching desire to leave that had been plaguing him the entire time, Bakugou got up from his seat rather slowly—lethargically, even. Partially due to the physical effects of sitting still for so long, but also because he didn’t want to appear too eager to leave. He’d already annoyed Aizawa enough simply by _being_ there; no need to make it any worse.

Bakugou trudged to the teacher’s desk and took his phone, which had been temporarily confiscated. He then exited the room, quickening his pace in the hallway.

He turned on his phone to see several notifications from his messaging app, then checked the messages he’d missed.

**2:32 PM**

**Manly Man: Wanna hang out after class? We can get food from the new snack store that opened up nearby**

**Sparky: Yeah**

**Alien Queen: Sure!**

**Cellophane: Sounds good**

**3:34 PM**

**Manly Man: Bakugou? Will you join us?**

**Alien Queen: Hes not gonna come :(**

**Sparky: Because he's in prison :((((**

**Cellophane: *detention**

**Sparky: Same thing, especially since Aizawa-sensei is there hahaha**

**Manly Man: For real? That’s too bad…**

**4:15 PM**

**Manly Man: Bakugou, come meet us after your detention is over**

Bakugou shoved his phone back in his pocket.

 _’Dumbass, you didn’t even tell me where to meet you,’_ he thought with exasperation. Even so, he knew exactly where to go.

He made his way to the dorms, and went to Kaminari’s room. It was their usual late-afternoon hangout spot, since it was the most spacious out of all their dorms. He knocked on the door with enough force to cause the sound to echo in the hall.

Moments later, Kaminari opened the door, and gave a cheeky smile.

“So your prison sentence is over, huh?” He stepped aside to let the other in.

Bakugou entered the room to see a floor littered with wrappers, empty boxes, and empty cups. Sero was sitting on Kaminari’s bed enjoying a rice ball, while Ashido and Kirishima were sitting on the carpet sharing a box of takoyaki.

Kirishima lit up at the sight of Bakugou. “Hey, man! Glad you could make it.”

“Did you all collectively decide to become pigs?” Bakugou said sarcastically, gesturing at the mess of food containers on the floor.

“It’s obviously a snack party,” said Kaminari as he shut the door and sat next to Sero on the bed.

“Don’t be a grump, Bakugou. We saved you some food.” Kirishima reached over to the table and grabbed an unwrapped rice ball. “I bought one with the extra spicy flavor just for you, but Kaminari accidentally took a bite of it.”

“And he totally cried,” Ashido added teasingly. “He was like, ‘waaah, it burns’!”

“Hey, I thought I told you not to speak of that!” Kaminari said indignantly. Ashido giggled.

“Tch, like I’d want something with an idiot’s slobber all over it,” Bakugou growled.

“Come on man, as far as I know, Kaminari doesn’t have any diseases. Besides, I _know_ you’re hungry.” Kirishima tossed the half-eaten snack to Bakugou, which he caught with ease.

“Yeah, just eat it,” Sero agreed. “After all, you didn’t get to have lunch today.”

“Because of Pink Psycho!” Bakugou snapped, crushing the rice ball in his hand out of anger.

“Now hold on a minute, she’s not a psycho! She’s actually pretty nice..!” Ashido tried to argue, only to be drowned out by more shouting.

“Are you kidding me, Raccoon Eyes?! She wasted my curry, stained my uniform, and refused to give any sort of compensation! And then, she got me a week of after-school detention, but received no punishment herself? It’s bullshit!”

“But, uh,” Sero spoke up. “Technically she didn’t do anything that warrants a punishment—“

“Don’t be stupid, Tape Face! She was about to punch me, didn’t you see that?! Or are you all too blinded by her ‘coolness’ and her ‘cuteness’ to notice her flaws?” Bakugou then started to pace back and forth while he ranted, and everyone else in the room knew that there was no reasoning with him anymore. He was just too angry. “She’s so infuriating in every way. I hate that bitch!”

“Yeah, total bitch!” Kaminari agreed, much to the surprise of the others.

“That bitch should have gotten detention too!” Bakugou snarled.

“Yeah!” Kaminari stood up with his hands balled into fists.

“Fuck it, she should be expelled, 'cause I never want to see her again!”

“Yeah!”

At that point, Sero interrupted.

“Kaminari, why are _you_ so against Haruno?” The black-haired boy asked, sounding confused but also a little worried. “You’re not a hateful person like Bakugou.”

“I’m not hateful,” Bakugou said sharply. “I’m just expressing my discontent about the existence of those shitty fucking ninjas. Fuck, I’m hungry.” No longer caring about possible germs, Bakugou shoved the entire rice ball in his mouth.

“I’m with Sero on this one,” said Ashido. “Kaminari, what’s going on with you and Haruno?”

“It’s really nothing, you guys!” Kaminari laughed, but it sounded forced. “Don’t worry about it.”

Kirishima let out a loud sigh and flopped down with his back against the soft black carpet. “Come on guys, enough with these bad vibes,” the redhead complained. "We're here to hang out, not to grouch about the people we don't like."

“S-Sorry Kirishima-kun!” Kaminari apologized genuinely.

“I’ll stop ranting about the shitty ninjas if you give me more food,” said Bakugou, unrepentant.

“Deal.” Kirishima sat up and handed Bakugou a box full of takoyaki, which he gladly accepted.

And with that, the snack party continued without another mention of the Konoha nins… but for some reason, Kaminari still seemed off, as if he was lost in thought about something. He stayed relatively quiet for the rest of the time.

~

Iida ran the track using his quirk one last time, his arms extended behind him at a 30-degree angle past his back, his torso leaning only slightly forward. He soon returned to the starting line panting, covered in sweat.

“How was that?” The blue-headed boy asked breathlessly.

“Amazing, since you finally completed a full lap without falling down!” Naruto gave a thumbs-up. “We can stop training now that you’ve accomplished the first step. Next time, we’re gonna work on your stamina, okay?”

“Alright.” Iida pushed up his glasses, which were nearly falling off his face. “I suppose I should visit Recovery Girl now.”

“I’ll walk you there,” Naruto offered.

“Thank you, Uzumaki-kun. And not just for that—for everything you’ve done to help me today.”

 _’It doesn’t feel right for you to thank me after I caused you to scrape up your face,’_ Naruto thought guiltily.

“I feel as though I should return the favor,” Iida continued.

“No way, ya know! I’m doing this ‘cuz I want to, not because I want something in return.”

“Really?”

“Really! Now let’s get you to Recovery Girl. Then we can have some ramen!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why the hecc did i spend hours on this lol


End file.
